^ 7  ¥^^1^W^^^%^f^^^E^I^'^^EK 


UC-NRLF 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


Hill) 

&*/) 


FACE    ILLUMINED 


BY 


E.   P.   ROE, 


AUTHOR    OF 


BARRIERS   BURNED   AWAY,"  "WHAT   CAN   SHE   DO?"  "OPENING 
A     CHESTNUT     BURR,"    "  FROM     JEST    TO    EARNEST," 

"NEAR  TO  NATURE'S  HEART,"  "A  KNIGHT 

OF  THE  XIXTH  CENTURY,"  ETC. 


God  can  create  worlds  ; 
He  must  win  our  hearts. 


NEW   YORK 

DODD,    MEAD    &    COMPANY 
751   BROADWAY 

LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


COPYRIGHT,  1878,  BY 
DODD,    MEAD    &    CO. 


TROW'S 

PRINTING  AND  BOOKBINDING  Co 
205-213  East  1 2 tk  St., 

NEW  YORK. 


PREFACE 


AS  may  be  gathered  from  the  following  pages,  my 
title  was  obtained  a  number  of  years  ago,  and 
the  story  has  since  been  taking  form  and  color  in  my 
mind.  What  has  become  of  the  beautiful  but  discord 
ant  face  I  saw  at  the  concert  garden  I  do  not  know, 
but  I  trust  that  the  countenance  it  suggested,  and  its 
changes  may  not  prove  so  vague  and  unsatisfactory 
as  to  be  indistinct  to  the  reader.  It  has  looked 
upon  the  writer  during  the  past  year  almost  like  the 
face  of  a  living  maiden,  and  I  have  felt,  in  a  way  that 
would  be  hard  to  explain,  that  I  have  had  but  little 
to  do  with  its  expressions,  and  that  forces  and  in 
fluences  over  which  I  had  no  control  were  moulding 
character. 

The  old  garden,  and  the  aged  man  who  grew  young 
within  it,  are  not  creations,  but  sacred  memories. 

That  the  book  may  tend   to  ennoble  other  faces 
than  that  of  Ida  Mayhew,  is  the  earnest  wish  of 

E.  P.  ROE. 

CORNWALL-ON-THE-HUDSON,    N.   Y. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGB 

A  FACE ii 

CHAPTER  II. 
IDA  M AYHEW  22 

CHAPTER  III. 
AN  ARTIST'S  FREAK 35 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  PARTHIAN  ARROW 42 

CHAPTER  V. 

SPITE 51 

CHAPTER  VI. 
RECKLESS  WORDS  AND  DEEDS 60 

CHAPTER  VII. 
ANOTHER  FEMININE  PROBLEM 71 


vj  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

FAGK 

GLIMPSES  OF  TRAGEDY  ..................     ................     85 

CHAPTER  IX. 
UNEXPECTEDLY  THROWN  TOGETHER  .............  ..........     96 

CHAPTER  X. 
PHRASES  TOO  SUGGESTIVE  .................................   108 

CHAPTER  XI. 
A  "TABLEAU  VIVANT"  ...................................   118 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Miss  MAYHEW  is  PUZZLED  ................................   126 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
NATURE'S  BROKEN  PROMISE  ...............................   137 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
A  REVELATION  ...........................................   145 

CHAPTER  XV. 
CONTRASTS  ...............................................  159 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
OUT  AMONG  SHADOWS  .........................  ...........   172 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
FORCES  DEVELOPING  .................................  184 


CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

MM 

LOVE  PUT  TO  WORK 195 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
MAN'S  HIGHEST  HONOR. 203 

CHAPTER  XX. 
A  WRETCHED  SECRET  THAT  MUST  BE  KEPT 209 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
A  DELIBERATE  WOOER ii6 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
A  VAIN  WISH 225 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
JENNIE  BURTON'S  "  REMEDIES  " 232 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
A  HATEFUL,  WRETCHED  LIFE 239 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
HALF-TRUTHS 246 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
SUNDAY  TABLE-TALK 251 

CHAPTER  XXVII.  ^ 

A  FAMILY  GROUP..  .  262 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

FAr.F 

RATHER  VOLCANIC 268 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
EVIL  LIVES  CAST  DARK  SHADOWS 278 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  DELIBERATE  WOOER  SPEAKS  FIRST 284 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
AN  EMBLEM 293 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
THE  DANGERS  OF  DESPAIR 303 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
"HOPE  DIES  HARD" 311 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
PUZZLED 324 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
DESPERATELY  WOUNDED 335 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
TEMPTATION'S  VOICE 350 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
VOICES  OF  NATURE 360 


CONTENTS.  \  ix 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

PAGE 

A  GOOD  MAN  SPEAKS 369 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
VAN  BERG'S  ESCAPE 387 

CHAPTER  XL. 
VAN  BERG'S  CONCLUSIONS 397 

CHAPTER  XLI. 
THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL 403 

CHAPTER  XLII. 
THE  CORNER-STONE  OF  CHARACTER 424 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 
A  "HEAVENLY  MYSTERY" 435 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 
"  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN  " 443 

CHAPTER  XLV. 
PROBLEMS  BEYOND  ART 470 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 
A  RESOLUTE  PHILOSOPHER 486 

CHAPTER  XLVII. 
THE  CONCERT  GARDEN  AGAIN  . . 500 


x  ,.  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

PAGH 

IDA'S  TEMPTATION.  .......................................  5l8 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 
THE  BLIND  GOD...  ..................  .  ....................  53* 


CHAPTER  L. 
SWEPT  AWAY  .............................................  555 

CHAPTER  LI. 
FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE  ............................  ......  569 

CHAPTER  LII. 
AN  ILLUMINED  FACE  .....................................  589 

CHAPTER  LIII. 
A  NIGHT'S  VIGIL  ........................................  601 

CHAPTER  LIV. 
LIFE  AND  TRUST  .........................................  615 


A    FACE    ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER   I. 

A    FACE. 

A  LTHOUGH  the  sun  was  approaching  the  hori- 
*~\  zon,  its  slanting  rays  found  a  young  artist  still 
bending  over  his  easel.  That  his  shoulders  are 
broad  is  apparent  at  a  glance  ;  that  upon  them  is 
placed  a  shapely  head,  well  thatched  with  crisp  black 
hair,  is  also  seen  at  once  ;  that  the  head  is  not  an 
empty  one  is  proved  by  the  picture  on  the  easel, 
which  is  sufficiently  advanced  to  show  correct  and 
spirited  drawing.  A  brain  that  can  direct  the  hand 
how  to  do  one  thing  well  is  like  a  general  who  has 
occupied  a  strategic  pomt  which  will  give  him  the 
victory  if  he  follow  up  his  advantage. 

A  knock  at  the  door  is  not  answered  at  once  by 
the  intent  and  preoccupied  artist,  but  its  sharp  and 
impatient  repetition  secures  the  rather  reluctant  in 
vitation, 

"  Come  in,"  and  even  as  he  spoke  he  bent  forward 
to  give  another  stroke.  -  ;*. 

"  Six  o'clock,  and  working  still  !  "  cried  the  in.- 


12 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


truder.  "  You  will  keep  the  paint  market  active,  if 
you  achieve  nothing  else  as  an  artist." 

"  Heigho  !  Ik,  is  that  you  ?  "  said  he  of  the  pal 
ette,  good-naturedly,  and  rising  slowly  he  gave  a 
lingering  look  at  his  work,  then  turned  and  greeted 
his  friend  with  the  quiet  cordiality  of  long  and  famil 
iar  acquaintance.  "What  a  marplot  you  are  with 
your  idle  ways  1 "  he  added  ;  "sit  down  here  and  make 
yourself  useful  for  once  by  doing  nothing  for  ten 
minutes.  I  am  in  just  the  mood  and  have  just  the 
light  for  a  bit  of  work  which  perhaps  I  can  never  do 
as  well  again,"  and  the  artist  returned  promptly  to 
his  picture. 

In  greeting  his  friend  he  had  revealed  that  he  was 
above  middle  height,  that  he  had  full  black  eyes  that 
were  not  only  good  for  seeing,  but  could  also,  if  he 
chose,  give  great  emphasis  to  his  words,  and  at  times 
be  even  more  expressive.  A  thick  mustache  cov 
ered  his  lip,  but  the  rest  of  his  face  was  cleanly 
shaven,  and  was  strong  and  decided  in  its  outlines 
rather  than  handsome. 

"They  say  a  woman's  work  is  never  done,"  re 
marked  Ik  Stanton,  dropping  into  the  easiest  chair 
in  the  studio,  "and  for  this  reason,  were  there  no 
other,  your  muse  is  evidently  of  the  feminine  persua 
sion.  I  also  admit  that  she  is  a  lady  of  great  anti 
quity.  Indeed  I  would  place  her  nearer  to  the  time 
when  '  Adam  delved  and  Eve  span '  than  to  the  classic 
age." 

"  My  dear  Ik,"  responded  the  artist,  "I  am  often 
at  a  loss  to  know  whether  I  love  or  despise  you  most. 
If  a  little  of  the  whirr  of  our  great  grandam's  spin- 


A    FACE.  i$ 

ning  wheel  would  only  get  into  your  brain  the  world 
might  hear  from  you.  You  are  a  man  of  unbounded 
stomach  and  unbounded  heart,  and  so  you  have  won 
all  there  is  of  me  except  my  head,  and  that  disap 
proves  of  you." 

"  A  fig  for  the  world  !  what  good  will  it  do  me  or 
it  to  have  it  hear  from  me  ?  you  ambitious  fellows 
are  already  making  such  a  din  that  the  poor  old  world 
is  half  ready  for  Bedlam  ;  and  would  go  stark  mad 
were  it  not  for  us  quiet,  easy-going  people,  who  have 
time  for  a  good  dinner  and  a  snack  between  meals. 
You've  got  a  genius  that's  like  a  windmill  in  a  trade 
wind,  always  in  motion ;  you  are  worth  more  money 
than  I  shall  ever  have,  but  you  are  the  greatest 
drudge  in  the  studio  building,  and  work  as  many 
hours  as  a  house-painter." 

"  When  your  brain  once  gets  in  motion,  Ik,  fiction 
will  be  its  natural  product.  You  must  admit  that 
I  have  not  painted  many  pictures." 

"That  is  one  of  the  things  I  complain  of;  I,  your 
bosom  friend  and  familiar,  your,  I  might  add,  guar 
dian  angel — I,  who  have  so  often  saved  your  life  by 
quenching  the  flame  of  your  consuming  genius  with 
a  hearty  dinner,  have  been  able  to  obtain  one  picture 
only  from  you,  and  as  one  might  draw  a  tooth.  Your 
pictures  are  like  old  maids'  children — they  must  be 
so  perfect  that  they  can't  exist  at  all.  But  come, 
the  ten  minutes  are  up.  Here's  the  programme  for 
the  evening — a  drive  in  the  Park  and  a  little  dinner  at 
a  cool  restaurant  near  Thomas's  Garden,  and  then  the 
concert.  That  prince  of  musical  caterers  has  made 
a  fine  selection  for  to-night,  and,  with  the  cigar 


I4  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

stand  on  one  side  of  us  and  the  orchestra  on  the 
other,  we  are  certain  to  kill  a  couple  of  hours  that 
will  die  like  swans." 

"  You  mention  the  cigar-stand  first." 

"  Why  not?  Smoke  is  more  real  than  empty 
sound." 

"Are  you  not  equally  empty,  Ik,  save  after  din 
ner  ?  How  have  the  preceding  hours  of  this  long  day 
been  killed  ?  " 

"  Like  boas.  They  have  enfolded  me  with  a  weary 
weight." 

"  The  snakes  in  your  comparison  are  larger  than 
your  pun,  and  the  pun,  rather  than  yourself,  suggests 
a  constrictor's  squeeze." 

"  Come,  you  are  only  abusing  me  to  gain  time, 
and  you  may  gain  too  much.  My  horses  have  more 
mettle  than  their  master,  and  may  carry  off  my  trap 
and  groom  to  parts  unknown,  while  you  are  wasting 
paint  and  words.  You  are  like  the  animals  at  the 
Park,  that  are  good-natured  only  after  they  are  fed. 
So  shut  up  your  old  paint  shop,  and  come  along  ;  we 
will  shorten  our  ride  and  lengthen  our  dinner." 

With  mutual  chaffing  and  laughter  the  young  men 
at  last  went  down  to  where  a  liveried  coachman  and 
a  pair  of  handsome  bays  were  in  waiting.  Taking  the 
high  front  seat  and  gathering  up  the  reins,  Ik  Stan- 
ton,  with  his  friend  Harold  Van  Berg  at  his  side, 
bowled  away  towards  the  Park  at  a  rapid  pace. 

Harold  Van  Berg  was,  in  truth,  something  of  a 
paradox.  He  was  an  artist,  and  yet  was  rich  ;  he  had 
inherited  large  wealth,  and  yet  had  formed  habits  of 
careful  industry.  The  majority  of  his  young  acquaint* 


A  FACE.  15 

ances,  who  had  been  launched  from  homes  like  his 
own,  were  known  only  as  sons  of  their  fathers,  and  de 
generate  sons  at  that.  Van  Berg  was  already  win 
ning  a  place  among  men  on  the  ground  of  what  he  was 
and  could  do  himself. 

It  were  hard  to  say  which  was  the  stronger  motive, 
his  ambition  or  the  love  of  his  art ;  but  it  seemed  cer 
tain  that  between  the  two,  such  talent  as  he  had  been 
endowed  with  would  be  developed  quite  thoroughly. 
And  he  did  possess  decided  talent,  if  not  genius  ;  but 
his  artistic  gift  accorded  with  his  character,  and  was 
controlled  by  judgment,  correct  taste,  and  intellectu 
ality  rather  than  by  strong  and  erratic  impulses.  His 
aims  were  definite  and  decided  rather  than  vague  and 
diffusive ;  but  his  standards  were  so  high  that,  thus  far, 
he  had  scarcely  attempted  more  than  studies  that 
were  like  the  musician's  scales  by  which  he  seeks  to 
acquire  a  skill  in  touch  that  shall  enable  him  to  ren 
der  justly  the  works  of  the  great  composers. 

His  family  had  praised  his  work  unstintedly,  and 
honestly  thought  it  wonderful ;  he  had  also  been  de 
luged  with  that  kind  of  flattery  which  relaxes  the  rules 
of  criticism  in  favor  of  the  wealthy.  Thus  it  was  not 
strange  that  the  young  fellow,  at  one  time,  believed 
that  he  was  born  to  greatness  by  a  kindly  decree  of 
fate.  But  as  his  horizon  widened  he  was  taught  better. 
His  mind,  fortunately,  grew  faster  than  his  vanity, 
and  as  he  compared  his  crude  but  promising  work 
with  that  of  mature  genius,  he  was  not  stricken  with 
that  most  hopeless  phase  of  blindness — the  inability 
to  see  the  superiority  of  others  to  one's  self.  Every 
day,  therefore,  of  study  and  observation  was  now 


!6  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

chastening  Harold  Van  Berg  and  preparing  him  to 
build  his  future  success  on  the  solid  ground  of  positive 
merit  as  compared  with  that  of  other  and  gifted  ar 
tists. 

Van  Berg's  taste  and  talent  led  him  to  select,  as 
his  specialty,  the  human  form  and  countenance,  and 
he  chiefly  delighted  in  those  faces  which  were  expres 
sive  of  some  striking  or  subtle  characteristic  of  the 
indwelling  mind.  He  would  never  be  content  to 
paint  surfaces  correctly,  merely  giving  to  features 
their  exact  proportions.  Whe'ther  the  face  were  his 
torical,  ideal,  or  a  portrait,  the  controlling  trait  or 
traits  of  the  spirit  within  must  shine  through,  or  else 
he  regarded  the  picture  as  scarcely  half  finished. 

A  more  sincere  idolater  than  Van  Berg,  in  his 
worship  of  beauty,  never  existed  ;  but  it  was  the 
beauty  of  a  complete  man  or  a  complete  woman. 
Even  in  his  early  youth  he  had  not  been  so  sensuous 
as  to  be  captivated  by  that  opaque  fragment  of  a 
woman — an  attractive  form  devoid  of  a  mind.  In 
deed  with  the  exception  of  a  few  boyish  follies,  his 
art  had  been  his  mistress  thus  far,  and  it  was  begin 
ning  to  absorb  both  heart  and  brain. 

With  what  a  quiet  pulse — with  what  a  complacent 
sense  of  security  we  often  meet  those  seemingly  trivial 
events  which  may  change  the  whole  character  of  our 
lives  !  The  ride  had  been  taken,  the  dinner  enjoyed, 
and  the  two  friends  were  seated  in  the  large  cool  hall 
way  off  the  concert  garden,  where  they  could  smoke 
without  offence.  The  unrivalled  leader,  Thomas,  had 
just  lifted  his  baton — that  magic  wand  whose  grace 
ful  yet  mysterious  motion  evokes  with  equal  ease 


A   FACE.  i; 

seemingly,  the  thunder  of  a  storm,  the  song  of  a  bird, 
the  horrid  din  of  an  inferno,  or  a  harmony  so  pure  and 
lofty  as  to  suggest  heavenly  strains.  One  of  Beetho 
ven's  exquisite  symphonies  was  to  be  rendered,  and 
Van  Berg  threw  away  his  half-burned  cigar,  settled 
himself  in  his  chair  and  glanced  around  with  a  con 
gratulatory  air,  as  if  to  say,  "  Now  we  are  to  have  one 
of  those  pleasures  which  fills  the  cup  of  life  to  over 
flowing." 

Oh,  that  casual  glance  !  It  was  one  of  those 
things  that  we  might  jtfstly  call  "  little."  Could  any 
thing  have  been  more  trivial,  slight,  and  apparently 
inconsequential  than  this  half  involuntary  act  ?  Indeed 
it  was  too  aimless  even,  to  have  been  prompted  by  a 
conscious  effort  of  the  will.  But  this  book  is  one  of 
the  least  results  of  that  momentary  sweep  of  the  eye. 
Another  was,  that  Van  Berg  did  not  enjoy  the 
symphony  at  all,  and  was  soon  in  a  very  bad  humor. 
That  casual  glance  had  revealed,  not  far  away,  a  face 
that  with  his  passion  for  beauty,  at  once  riveted  his 
attention.  His  slight  start  and  faint  exclamation, 
caused  Ik  Stanton  to  look  around  also,  and  then,  with 
a  mischievous  and  observant  twinkle  in  his  eyes,  the 
bon  invant  resumed  his  cigar,  which  no  symphony 
could  exorcise  from  his  mouth. 

At  a  table  just  within  the  main  audience  room, 
there  sat  a  young  lady  and  gentleman.  Even  Van 
Berg,  who  made  it  his  business  to  discover  and  study 
beauty,  was  soon  compelled  to  admit  to  himself 
that  he  had  never  seen  finer  features  than  were 
possessed  by  this  fair  young  stranger.  Her  nose 
wns  straight,  her  upper  lip  was  short,  and  might 


T8  A   FACE   ILLUMINED, 

have  been  modelled  from  Cupid's  bow  ;  her  chin  did 
not  form  a  perfect  oval  after  the  cold  and  severe 
Grecian  type,  but  was  slightly  firm  and  prominent, 
receding  with  decided  yet  exquisite  curves  to  the 
white  full  throat.  Her  cheeks  had  a  transparent  fair 
ness,  in  which  the  color  came  and  went  instead  of 
lingering  in  any  conventional  place  and  manner;  her 
hair  was  too  light  to  be  called  brown  and  too  dark  to 
be  golden,  but  was  shaded  like  that  on  which  the  sun 
light  falls  in  one  of  Bougereau's  pictures  of  "  Mother 
and  Child ;  "  and  it  rippled  away  from  a  broad  low 
brow  in  natural  waves,  half  hiding  the  small,  shell-like 
ears. 

Van  Berg  at  firs.,  thought  l\er  eyes  to  be  her  finest 
feature,  but  he  soon  regarded  them  as  the  worst,  and 
for  the  same  reason,  as  he  speedily  discovered,  that 
the  face,  each  feature  of  which  seemed  perfect,  became, 
after  brief  study,  so  unsatisfactory  as  to  cause  positive 
annoyance.  To  a  passing  glance  they  were  large, 
dark,  beautiful  eyes,  but  they  lost  steadily  under 
thoughtful  scrutiny.  A  flashing  gem  may  seem  real 
at  first,  but  as  its  meretricious  rays  are  analyzed,  they 
lose  their  charm  because  revealing  a  stone  not  only 
worthless  but  worse  than  worthless,  since  it  mocks  us 
with  a  false  resemblance,  thus  raising  hopes  only  to 
disappoint  them.  The  other  features  remained  beau 
tiful  and  satisfactory  to  Van  Berg's  furtive  observation 
because  further  removed  from  the  informing  mind, 
and  therefore  more  justly  capable  of  admiration  upon 
their  own  merits  ;  but  the  eyes  are  too  near  akin  to 
the  animating  spirit  not  to  suffer  from  the  relationship, 
should  the  spirit  be  essentially  defective. 


A   FACE.  19 

That  the  beautiful  face  was  but  a  transparent  mask 
of  a  deformed,  dwarfed,  contemptible  little  soul  was 
speedily  made  evident.  The  cream  and  a  silly  flirta 
tion  with  her  empty-headed  attendant — a  pallid  youth 
who  parted  his  hair  like  a  girl  and  had  no  other  parts 
worth  naming — absorbed  her  wholly,  and  the  exquisite 
symphony  was  no  more  to  her  than  an  annoying  din 
which  made  it  difficult  to  hear  her  companion's  compli 
ments  that  were  as  sweet,  heavy,  and  stale  as  Mail- 
lard's  chocolates,  left  a  year  on  the  shelves.  Their 
mutual  giggle  and  chatter  at  last  became  so  obtrusive 
that  an  old  and  music-loving  German  turned  his 
broad  face  towards  them,  and  hissed  out  the  word 
"  Hist!"  with  such  vindictive  force  as  to  suggest  that 
all  the  winds  had  suddenly  broken  lose  from  the  cave 
of  ^Eolus. 

Ik  Stanton,  who  had  been  watching  Van  Berg's 
perturbed,  lowering  face,  and  the  weak  comedy  at 
the  adjacent  table,  was  obviously  much  amused, 
although  he  took  pains  to  appear  blind  to  it  all  and 
kept  his  back,  as  far  as  possible,  towards  the  young 
lady. 

The  German's  "  hist"  had  been  so  fierce  as  to  be 
almost  like  a  rap  from  a  policeman's  club,  and  there 
was  an  enforced  and  temporary  suspension  of  the 
inane  chatter.  The  attendant  youth  tried  to  assume 
the  incensed  and  threatening  look  with  which  an 
ancient  gallant  would  have  laid  his  hand  on  the  hilt 
of  his  sword.  But  some  animals  and  men  only  be 
come  absurd  when  they  try  to  appear  formidable. 
It  was  ludicrous  to  see  him  weakly  frowning  at  the 
sturdy  Teuton  who  had  already  forgotten  his  ex- 


20  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

istence  as  completely  as  he  might  that  of  a  buzzing 
mosquito  he  had  exterminated  with  a  slap. 

The  young  girl's  face  grew  even  less  satisfactory 
as  it  became  more  quiet.  A  muddy  pool,  rippled  by 
a  breeze,  will  sparkle  quite  brilliantly  while  in  mo 
tion  ;  but  when  quiet  it  is  seen  the  more  plainly  to 
be  only  a  shallow  pool.  At  first  the  beautiful  features 
expressed  only  petty  resentment  at  the  public  rebuke. 
As  this  faintly  lurid  light  faded  out  and  left  the  coun 
tenance  in  its  normal  state  it  became  more  heavy  and 
earthy  in  its  expression  than  Van  Berg  would  have 
deemed  possible,  and  it  ever  remained  a  mystery  to 
him  how  features  so  delicate,  beautiful,  and  essentially 
feminine  could  combine  to  show  so  clearly  that  the 
indwelling  nature  was  largely  alloyed  with  clay. 
There  was  not  that  dewy  freshness  in  the  fair  young 
face  which  one  might  expect  to  see  in  the  early 
morning  of  existence.  The  Lord  from  heaven 
breathed  the  breath  of  life  into  the  first  fair  woman  ; 
but  this  girl  might  seem  to  have  been  the  natural 
product  of  evolution,  and  her  soul  to  be  as  truly  of 
the  earth  as  her  body. 

It  was  evident  that  she  had  been  made  familiar  too 
early  and  thoroughly  with  conventional  and  fashion 
able  society,  and,  although  this  fraction  of  the  world 
is  seldom  without  its  gloves,  its  touch  nevertheless 
had  soiled  her  nature.  Her  face  did  not  express  any 
active  or  malignant  principle  of  evil ;  but  a  close  ob 
server,  like  Van  Berg,  in  whom  the  man  was  in  the 
ascendant  over  the  animal,  could  detect  the  absence 
of.  the  serene,  maidenly  purity  of  expression,  charac 
teristic  of  those  girls  who  have  obtained  their  ideas 


A   FACE.  21 

of  life  from  good  mothers,  rather  than  from  French 
novels,  French  plays,  and  a  phase  of  society  that 
borrows  its  inspiration  from  fashionable  Paris. 

With  the  ending  of  the  symphony  the  chatting  and 
flirting  at  the  table  began  again,  to  Van  Berg's  in 
creased  disgust.  Indeed,  he  was  so  irritated  that  he 
could  no  longer  control  himself,  and  rose  abruptly, 
saying  to  his  companion  : 

"  Come,  let  us  walk  outside." 

His  sudden  movement  drew  the  young  lady's  at 
tention,  but  by  this  time  he  had  only  his  broad 
shoulders  turned  towards  her.  She  saw  Ik  Stanton 
looking  at  her,  however,  with  a  face  full  of  mischief, 
and  she  recognized  him  with  a  nod  and  a  smile. 

He,  with  the  familiarity  that  indicated  relationship, 
but  with  a  motion  too  slight  to  be  noticed  by  others, 
threw  her  a  kiss  from  the  tips  of  his  fingers,  as  one 
might  toss  a  sugar-plum  to  a  child,  and  then  followed 
his  friend. 


22  -•/    f-'ACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  II. 

IDA     M  A  Y  H  E  W. 

WHAT  is  the  matter,  Van  ?  You  remind  me 
of  a  certain  horned  beast  that  has  seen  a  red 
flag,"  said  Ik  Stanton,  linking  his  arm  in  that  of  Van 
Berg's. 

41  An  apt  illustration.  I  have  been  baited  and  irri 
tated  for  the  last  twenty  minutes." 

"  I  thought  you  enjoyed  Beethoven's  music,  and 
surely  Thomas  rendered  it  divinely  to-night." 

"  That  is  one  of  the  chief  of  my  grievances.  I 
haven't  been  able  to  hear  a  note,"  was  the  wrathful 
response. 

14  That's  strange,"  said  Stanton  with  mock  gravity. 
41  Were  I  not  afraid  you  would  take  it  amiss  I  would 
hint  that  your  ears  are  of  goodly  size.  How  comes 
it  that  they  have  so  suddenly  failed  you  ?  " 

"  Having  seen  your  dinner  you  have  no  eyes  for 
anything  else.  If  you  had,  you  would  have  seen  a 
face  near  us." 

' '  I  saw  a  score  of  faces  near  us ;  a  German  had 
one  with  the  area  of  an  acre." 

41  Was  he  the  one  who  said,  *  hist,'  like  a  blast  from 
the  north  ?  " 

"  From  a  porpoise  rather." 


WA   MAYHEW.  2j 

"  Did  you  observe  the  girl  towards  whom  his  gusty 
rebuke  was  directed  ?  " 

14  Yes,  an  inoffensive  young  lady." 

"  Inoffensive,  indeed  ! "  interrupted  Van  Berg ;  "  she 
has  put  me  into  purgatory." 

"  You  do  seem  quite  ablaze.  Well,  you  are  not  the 
first  one  that  she  has  put  there.  But  really,  Van,  I 
did  not  know  that  you  were  so  inflammable." 

'*  If  you  had  any  of  the  instincts  of  an  artist  you 
would  know  that  I  am  inflamed  with  no  gentler  feel- 
iiu;  than  aiu^rr." 

"  Why,  what  has  the  poor  child  done  to  you  ?  " 

4<  She  is  not  a  child.  She  knows  too  much  about 
some  things." 

44  I've  no  doubt  she  is  better  than  either  you  or  I," 
said  Stunton,  sharply. 

"  That  fact  would  be  far  from  proving  her  a  saint." 

"  What  the  dickens  makes  you  so  vindictive  against 
the  girl  ?  " 

"  Because  she  has  the  features  of  an  angel  and  the 
face  of  a  fool.  What  business  has  a  woman  to  mock 
and  disappoint  one  so  !  When  I  first  saw  her  I  thought 
I  had  discovered  a  prize — a  new  revelation  of  beauty  ; 
but  a  moment  later  she  looked  so  ineffably  silly  that 
I  felt  as  if  I  had  bitten  into  an  apple  of  Sodom.  Of 
course  the  girl  is  nothing  to  me.  I  never  saw  her 
before  and  hope  I  may  never  sec  her  again  ;  but  her 
features  were  so  perfect  that  I  could  not  help  looking 
at  them,  and  the  more  I  looked  the  more  annoyed. I 
became  to  find  that,  instead  of  being  blended  togeth 
er  into  a  divine  face  by  the  mind  within,  they  were 
the  reluctant  slaves  of  as  picayune  a  soul  as  ever 


24  A  PACE  ILLUMIXED. 

maintained  its  microscopic  existence  in  a  human  body. 
It  is  exasperating  to  think  what  that  face  might  be, 
and  to  see  what  it  is.  How  can  nature  make  such 
absurd  blunders  ?  The  idea  of  building  so  fair  a  tern- 
pie  for  such  an  ugly  little  divinity  !  " 

"  I  thought  you  artists  were  satisfied  with  flesh  and 
blood  women,  if  only  put  together  in  a  way  pldasing 
to  your  fastidious  eyes." 

"  If  nature  had  designed  that  women  should  con 
sist  only  of  flesh  and  blood,  one  would  have  to  be 
content ;  but  no  one  save  the  *  unspeakable  Turk,' 
believes  in  such  a  woman,  or  wants  her.  Who  ad 
mires  such  a  fragment  of  a  woman  save  the  man  that 
is  as  yet  undeveloped  beyond  the  animal  ?  My  moth 
er  is  my  friend,  my  companion,  my  inspiration.  The 
idea  of  yonder  silly  creature  being  the  companion  of 
a  man." 

"  Good  evening,  Coz,"  said  a  voice  that  was  a 
trifle  shrill  and  loud  for  a  public  place,  and  looking 
up,  the  friends  saw  the  subject  of  their  conversation, 
who,  with  her  spindling  attendant,  was  also  taking  a 
promenade. 

Stanton  raised  his  hat  with  a  smile,  while  Van 
Berg  touched  his  but  coldly. 

"  I  wish  to  speak  with  you,"  she  said  in  passing. 

"  I  will  join  you  soon,"  Stanton  answered. 

<(  So  this  lady  is  your  cousin  ?  "  remarked  Van  Berg. 

"  She  is,"  said  Stanton,  laughing. 

"  You  will  do  me  the  justice  to  remember  that  I 
spoke  in  ignorance  of  the  fact.  If  I  were  you  I  would 
give  her  some  cousinly  advice." 

"  Bless  you  !     I  have,  but  it's  like  pouring  water  on 


IDA   MAYHEIV.  2$ 

a  duck's  back.  For  one  sensible  word  I  can  say  to  her 
she  gets  a  thousand  compliments  from  rich  and  empty- 
headed  young  fools,  like  the  one  now  with  her,  who 
will  eventually  be  worth  half  a  million  in  his  own  name. 
I  was  interested  to  see  how  her  face  would  strike  you, 
and  I  imagine  that  your  estimate  has  hit  pretty  close 
upon  the  truth,  for  in  my  judgment  she  is  the  prettiest 
and  silliest  girl  in  New  York.  She  has  recently 
returned  from  a  year's  absence  abroad,  and  I  was 
in  hopes  that  she  would  find  something  to  remember 
besides  her  own  handsome  face,  but  I  imagine  she 
has  seen  little  else  than  it  and  the  admiring  glances 
which  everywhere  follow  her.  Take  us  as  we  average, 
Van,  Mr.  Darwin  has  not  got  us  very  far  along  yet, 
and  if  the  face  of  a  woman  suits  us  we  are  apt  to 
stare  at  it  as  far  as  such  politeness  as  we  possess 
permits,  without  giving  much  thought  to  her  intellec 
tual  endowments.  When  it  comes  to  companionship, 
however,  I  agree  with  you.  Heaven  help  the  man 
who  is  tied  to  such  a  woman  for  life.  Still,  in  the 
fashionable  crowd  my  cousin  trains  with,  this  makes 
little  difference.  The  husband  goes  his  way  and  the 
wife  hers,  and  they  are  not  long  in  getting  a  good 
ways  apart.  But  come,  let  me  introduce  you,  I  have 
always  thought  the  little  fool  had  some  fine  gold 
mingled  with  her  dross,  and  you  are  such  a  skilful 
analyst  that  perhaps  you  will  discover  it." 

"  No,  I  thank  you,"  said  Van  Berg,  with  a  slight 
expression  of  disgust.  "  I  could  not  speak  civilly  to 
a  lady  that  I  had  just  seen  giggling  and  flirting  through 
one  of  Beethoven's  finest  symphonies." 

"  Well  well,"  said  Stanton  laughing,  *  I  am  rather 


26  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

glad  to  find  one  man  who  is  not  drawn  to  her  pretty 
face  like  a  moth  to  a  candle.  I  will  join  you  again  by 
and  by." 

Van  Berg  sat  down  in  one  of  the  little  stalls  that 
stood  open  to  the  main  promenade,  and  saw  his 
friend  thread  his  way  among  the  moving  figures,  and 
address  his  cousin.  As  she  turned  to  speak  with 
Stanton,  the  artist  received  again  that  vivid  impres 
sion  of  beauty,  which  her  face  ever  caused  before 
time  was  given  for  closer  scrutiny.  Indeed  from 
his  somewhat  distant  point  of  observation,  and  in 
the  less  searching  light,  the  fatal  flaw  could  scarcely 
be  detected.  Her  affected  tones  and  silly  words 
could  not  be  heard,  and  he  only  saw  dark  lustrous 
eyes  lighting  up  features  that  were  almost  a  revela 
tion  even  to  him  with  his  artistic  familiarity  with 
beauty. 

"  If  I  could  always  keep  her  at  about  that  distance," 
he  muttered,  "  and  arrange  the  lights  and  shadows  in 
which  to  view  her  face,  I  could  not  ask  for  a  better 
study,  for  she  would  give  me  a  basis  of  perfect  beauty, 
and  I  could  add  any  expression  or  characteristic  that 
I  desired."  And.now  he  feasted  his  eyes  as  a  compen 
sation,  in  part,  for  the  annoyance  she  had  caused  him 
in  the  glare  of  the  audience  room. 

He  soon  saw  a  frown  lower  upon  her  hitherto 
laughing  face  like  the  shadow  of  a  passing  cloud,  and 
it  was  evident  that  something  had  been  said  that  was 
not  agreeable  to  her  vanity. 

A  moment  or  two  after  Stanton  had  joined  the 
young  lady  her  escort  for  the  evening  had  excused 
himself  for  a  brief  time,  and  had  left  the  cousins 


IDA    MAYHEW.  2J 

together.  She  had  then  asked,  "  I  say,  Ik,-  who  was 
•that  gentleman  you  were  talking  with  ?" 

"  He's  an  old  friend  of  mine." 

"  He's  not  an  old  friend  of  any  one.  He  is  young 
and  quite  good-looking,  or  rather  he  has  a  certain  dis 
tingue  air  that  makes  one  look  at  him  twice.  Who 
is  he  ?  " 

"  He  is  an  artist,  and  if  he  lives  and  works  as  he 
is  now  doing,  through  an  ordinary  lifetime,  he  will 
indeed  be  distinguished.  In  fact,  he  stands  high 
already." 

"  How  nice,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  He  has  another  characteristic,  which  you  will 
appreciate  far  more  than  anything  he  will  ever  accom 
plish  with  his  brush  —  he  is  very  rich." 

"  Why  !  he's  perfectly  splendid.  Whoever  heard 
of  such  a  strange,  rare  creature  !  I've  flirted  with  lots 
of  poor  artists,  but  never  with  a  rich  one.  Bring  him 
to  me,  and  introduce  him  at  once." 

"  He  is  not  one  that  you  can  flirt  with,  like  the  at 
tenuated  youth  who  has  just  meandered  to  the  bar 


room." 


" 


Why  not?" 

"  If  you  had  eyes  for  anything  save  your  own 
pretty  face,  and  the  public  stare,  you  would  have  seen 
that  my  friend  is  not  a  '  creature,'  but  a  man." 

"  Come,  Cousin  Ik,"  she  replied  in  more  natural 
tones,  "  too  much  of  your  house  is  made  of  glass  for 
you  to  throw  stones.  Flirting  and  frolicking  are  as 
good  any  day  as  eating,  smoking,  and  dawdling." 

Stanton  bit  his  lip,  but  retorted,  "  I  don't  profess 
to  be  a  bit  better  than  you  are,  Coz  ;  but  I  at  least 


2$  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

have  the  sense  to  appreciate  those  who  are  my  supe 
riors." 

"  So  have  I,  when  I  find  them  ;  I  am  beginning  to 
think,  however,  that  you  men  are  very  much  alike. 
All  you  ask  is  a  pretty  face,  for  you  all  think  that 
you  have  brains  enough  for  two.  But  bring  your 
paragon  and  introduce  him,  that  I  may  share  in  your 
gaping  admiration." 

"  You  would,  indeed,  my  dear  Coz,  yawn  over  his 
conversation,  for  you  couldn't  understand  half  of  it. 
I  think  we  had  better  remain- where  we  are  till  your 
shadow  returns  with  his  eyes  and  nose  slightly  in 
flamed.  He  is  aware  of  at  least  one  method  of  becom 
ing  a  spirited  youth,  it  seems." 

"  A  man  who  is  worth  half  a  million  is  usually  re 
garded  as  rather  substantial,"  she  retorted. 

"Yes,  but  in  this  case  the  money-bags  outweigh 
the  man  too  ridiculously.  For  heaven's  sake,  Coz,  do 
not  make  a  spectacle  of  yourself  by  marrying  this  at 
tenuation,  or  society  will  assert  there  was  a  regularly 
drawn  bill  of  sale." 

"  I  assure  you  that  I  do  not  intend  to  put  myself 
under  any  man's  thumb  for  a  long  time  to  come.  I 
am  having  too  good  a  time  ;  and  that  reminds  me 
that  I  would  enjoy  meeting  your  friend  much  more 
than  listening  to  your  cynical  speeches.  Did  I  not 
know  that  you  were  like  my  little  King  Charles — all 
bark  rather  than  bite — I  wouldn't  stand  them  ;  and 
I  won't  any  longer,  to-night  ;  so  go  and  bring  your 
great  embryo  artist,  or  he  will  become  one  of  the  old 
masters  before  I  see  him." 
."  I  fear  I  must  give  you  a  wee  bit  of  a  bite  this 


IDA    MAYHEW.  29 

time.  I  have  offered  to  introduce  him  and  he  de 
clines  the  honor." 

"  How  is  that  ?  "  she  asked,  flushing  with  anger. 

"  I  will  quote  his  words  exactly,  and  then  you  can 
interpret  them  as  you  think  best.  He  said,  '  I  could 
not  speak  civilly  to  a  lady  that  I  had  just  seen  gig 
gling  and  flirting  through  one  of  Beethoven's  finest 
symphonies.' ' 

The  young  girl's  face  looked  anything  but  amiable 
in  response  to  this  speech  ;  but,  after  a  moment,  she 
tossed  her  head,  and  replied  : 

"  N'importe — there  are  plenty  who  can  use  not 
only  civil  words  but  complimentary  ones." 

"  Yes,  and  the  mischief  of  it  is  that  you  will  listen 
to  them  and  to  no  others.  What  sort  of  muscle  can 
one  make  who  lives  only  on  sugar-plums  ?  " 

"They  agree  with  me  better  than  the  vinegar 
drops  you  and  your  unmannerly  friend  delight  in.  I 
don't  believe  he  ever  painted  anything  better  than  a 
wooden  squaw  for  one  of  your  beloved  cigar-shops — 
welcome  back  Mr.  Minty.  You  have  been  away  an 
unconscionably  long  time." 

"  Thanks  for  the  compliment  of  being  missed.  I 
have  tried  to  make  amends  by  ordering  a  petit  sonper 
for  three,  for  I  was  sure  your  cousin  would  join  us. 
It  will  be  brought  to  one  of  yonder  stalls,  where,  while 
we  enjoy  it,  we  can  both  see  and  hear." 

Surmising  that  the  viands  would  consist  of  the 
choicest  delicacies  of  the  season,  Stanton  readily  ac 
cepted  the  invitation,  and  it  so  happened  that  the 
cloth  was  laid  for  the  party  in  the  stall  next  to  that 
in  which  Van  Berg  was  quietly  enjoying  a  cigar  and 


-O  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

a  frugal  glass  of  lager.  They  took  their  places  quite 
unaware  of  his  proximity,  and  he  listened  with  con 
siderable  interest  to  the  tones  and  words  of  the  fair 
stranger  who  had  so  unexpectedly  taken  possession 
of  his  thoughts.  Were  it  not  for  a  slight  shrillness 
and  loudness  at  times,  and  the  fashionable  affectation 
of  the  day,  her  voice  would  have  been  sweet  and 
girlish  enough.  As  it  was,  it  suggested  an  instru 
ment  tuned  to  a  false  key  and  consequently  discor 
dant  with  all  true  and  womanly  harmonies.  Her  con 
versation  with  young  Minty  was  as  insipid  as  himself, 
but  occasionally  Stanton's  cynical  banter  evoked 
something  like  repartee  and  wit. 

In  the  course  of  her  talk  she  said  :  "  By  the  way,  Ik, 
mother  and  I  start  for  the  country  next  week.  We 
are  to  spend  the  summer  at  the  Lake  House,  which  is 
up  the  Hudson  somewhere — you  know  where  better 
than  I.  If  you  will  bring  your  bays  and  a  light 
wagon  I  shall  be  very  glad  "to  see  you  there  ;  other 
wise  I  shall  welcome  you — well — as  my  cousin." 

"  If  I  come  I  will  surely  bring  my  bays,  and  possi 
bly  may  invite  you  to  drive  with  me." 

"  Oh,  I  will  save  you  all  trouble  in  that  respect  by 
inviting  myself,  when  so  inclined." 

The  orchestra  was  now  about  to  give  a  selection 
that  Van  Berg  wished  to  hear  to  better  advantage 
than  he  could  in  his  present  position ;  therefore,  un 
observed  by  the  party  on  the  other  side  of  the  thin 
partition,  he  returned  to  his  old  seat  in  the  main  hall 
way.  Not  very  long  after,  Stanton,  with  his  cousin 
and  Mr.  Minty,  entered  from  the  promenade,  and 
again  Van  Berg  received  the  same  vivid  impression 


IDA   MAY  HEW.  3! 

of  beauty,  and,  with  many  others,  could  not  withdraw 
his  eyes  from  the  exquisite  features  that  were  slightly 
flushed  with  champagne  and  excitement.  But,  as  be 
fore,  this  impression  passed  quickly,  and  the  face 
again  became  as  exasperating  to  the  artist  as  the  vis 
age  of  the  Venus  of  Milo  would  be  should  some 
vandal  hand  pencil  upon  it  a  leer  or  a  smirk.  A 
heavy  frown  was  gathering  upon  his  brow  when  the 
young  lady,  happening  to  turn  suddenly,  caught  and 
fully  recognized  his  lowering  expression.  It  accord 
ed  only  too  well  with  her  cousin's  words  in  regard  to 
Van  Berg's  estimate  of  herself,  and  greatly  increased 
her  resentment  towards  the  one  who  had  already 
wounded  her  vanity — the  most  vulnerable  and  sensi 
tive  trait  in  her  character.  The  flush  that  deepened 
so  suddenly  upon  her  face  was  unmistakably  that  of 
anger.  She  promptly  turned  her  back  upon  her 
critic,  nor  did  she  look  towards  him  again  until  the 
close  of  the  evening.  That  his  words  and  manner 
rankled  in  her  memory,  however,  was  proved  by  a 
slightly  preoccupied  manner,  followed  by  fits  of 
gayety  not  altogether  natural,  and  chiefly  by  the  fact 
that  she  could  not  leave  the  place  without  a  swift 
glance  at  the  disturbing  cause  of  her  wonted  self- 
approval.  But  Van  Berg  took  pains  to  manifest  his 
indifference  by  standing  with  his  back  towards  her 
when  she  knew  that  he  must  be  aware  of  her  depart 
ure,  from  her  slightly  ostentatious  leave-taking  of  her 
cousin,  in  which,  of  course,  the  spoiled  beauty  had 
no  other  object  than  to  attract  attention  to  herself. 

As  Van   Berg,  with  his  friend,  was  passing  out  a 
few  moments  later,  he  asked  rather  abruptly,  show- 


3 2  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

ing  that  he  also  was  not   so   indifferent  as  he  had 
pretended  to  be : 

"  What  is  your  cousin's  name,  Starjton  ?  " 
"  Her  name  is  as  pretty  as  herself— Ida  Mayhew, 
and  it  is  worse  than  a  disquieting  ghost  in  a  good 
many  heaos  and  hearts  that  I  know  of.  Indeed  its 
owner  has  robbed  men  that  I  thought  sensible,  not 
only  of  their  peace,  but,  I  should  say,  of  their  wits 
also.  I  had  one  friend  of  whom  I  thought  a  great 
deal,  and  it  was  pitiable  to  see  the  abject  state  to 
which  the  heartless  little  minx  reduced  him.  I  am 
glad  to  find  that  her  witchery  has  no  spell  for  you, 
and  that  you  detect  just  what  she  is  through  her  dis 
guise  of  beauty.  Entre  nous,  Van,  I  will  tell  you  a 
secret.  I  was  once  over  ears  in  love  with  her  myself, 
but  my  cousinly  relationship  enabled  me  to  see  her  so 
often  and  intimately  that  she  cured  me  of  my  folly  on 
homoeopathic  principles.  Similia  similibus  curantur. 
Even  the  blindness  of  love  could  not  fail  to  discover 
that  when  one  subtracted  vanity,  coquetry,  and  her 
striking  external  beauty  from  Ida  Mayhew,  but  little 
was  left,  and  that  little  not  a  heavenly  compound. 
Those  who  know  her  least,  and  who  add  to  her  beauty 
many  ideal  perfections,  are  the  ones  that  rave  about 
her  most.  I  doubt  whether  she  ever  had  a  heart ;  if 
so,  it  was  frittered  away  long  ago  in  her  numberless 
flirtations.  But  with  all  her  folly  she  has  ever  had  the 
sense  to  keep  within  the  conventionalities  of  her  own 
fashionable  coterie,  which  is  the  only  world  she  knows 
anything  about,  and  whose  unwritten  laws  are  her 
only  creed  and  religion.  Her  disappointed  suitors 
can  justly  charge  her  with  cruelty,  silliness,  ignorance, 


IDA    MAYHEW. 


33 


and  immeasurable  vanity,  but  never  with  indiscretion. 
She  has  to  perfection  the  American  girl's  ability  to 
take  care  of  herself,  and  no  man  will  seek  twice  to 
take  a  liberty  beyond  that  which  etiquette  permits. 
I  have  now  given  you  in  brief  the  true  character  of 
Ida  Mayhew.  It  is  no  secret,  for  all  who  come  to 
know  her  well,  arrive  at  the  same  opinion.  When  I 
saw  you  had  observed  her  this  evening  for  the  first 
time,  I  was  quite  interested  in  watching  the  impression 
she  would  make  upon  you,  and  I  am  very  glad  that 
your  judgment  has  been  both  good  and  prompt ;  for 
I  slightly  feared  that  your  love  of  beauty  might  make 
you  blind  to  everything  else." 

Stanton's  concluding  words  were  as  incense  to 
Van  Berg,  for  he  prided  himself  in  no  slight  degree 
on  his  even  pulse  and  sensible  heart,  that,  thus  far, 
had  given  him  so  little  trouble  ;  and  he  therefore  re 
plied,  with  a  certain  tinge  of  complacency  and  con 
sciousness  of  security  : 

"  You  know  me  well  enough,  Ik,  to  be  aware  that 
I  am  becoming  almost  a  monomaniac  in  my  art.-  A 
woman's  face  is  to  me  little  more  than  a  picture  which 
I  analyze  from  an  artistic  stand-point.  A  merely 
pretty  face  is  like  a  line  of  verse  of  musical  rhythm, 
but  without  sense  or  meaning.  This  is  bad  and  pro 
voking  enough  ;  but  when  the  most  exquisite  features 
give  expression  only  to  some  of  the  meanest  and 
unworthiest  qualities  that  can  infest  a  woman's  soul, 
one  is  exasperated  almost  beyond  endurance.  At 
least  I  am,  for  I  am  offended  in  my  strongest  in 
stincts.  Think  of  employing  stately  Homeric  words 
and  measure  in  describing  a  belle's  toilet  table  with 
2* 


1A  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

* 

its  rouge-pots,  false  hair,  and  other  abominations  ! 
Much  worse  is  it,  in  my  estimation,  that  the  features 
of  a  goddess  should  tell  us  only  of  such  moral  vermin 
as  vanity,  silliness,  and  the  egotism  of  a  poor  little 
self  that  thinks  of  nothing,  and  knows  nothing  save 
its  own  small  cravings.  Pardon  me,  Ik  ;  I  am  not 
speaking  of  your  cousin  but  in  the  abstract.  In  re 
gard  to  that  young  lady,  as  you  saw,  I  was  very 
much  struck  with  the  face.  Indeed,  to  tell  the  hon 
est  truth,  I  never  saw  so  much  beauty  spoiled  before, 
and  the  fact  has  put  me  in  so  bad  a  humor  that 
you,  no  doubt,  are  glad  I  have  reached  my  corner 
and  so  must  say  good-night." 

"  Ida  Mayhew  can  realize  all  such  abstractions," 
muttered  Ik  Stanton,  as  he  walked  on  alone. 

The  reader  will  be  apt  to  surmise,  however,  that 
some  resentment,  resulting  from  his  former  and  unre 
quited  sentiment  towards  the  girl,  gave  an  unjust  bias 
to  his  judgment. 


AN-  ARTIST'S  FREAK. 


35 


CHAPTER  III. 


VAN  BERG'S  night-key  admitted  him  to  a  beau 
tiful  home,  which  he  now  had  wholly  to  him 
self,  since  his  parents  and  sister  had  sailed  for 
Europe  early  in  the  spring,  intending  to  spend  the 
summer  abroad.  The  young  man  had  already 
travelled  and  studied  for  years  in  the  lands  naturally 
attractive  to  an  artist,  and  it  was  now  his  purpose  to 
familiarize  himself  more  thoroughly  with  the  scenery 
of  his  own  country. 

On  reaching  his  own  apartment  he  took  down  a 
prosy  book,  that  he  might  read  himself  into  that  con 
dition  of  drowsiness  which  would  render  sleep  possi 
ble  ;  but  sleep  would  not  come,  and  the  sentences 
were  like  the  passers-by  in  the  street,  whom  we  see 
but  do  not  note,  and  for  whose  coming  and  going 
we  know  not  the  reasons.  Between  himself  and  the 
page  he  saw  continually  the  exquisite  features  and  the 
exasperating  face  of  Ida  Mayhew.  At  last  he  threw 
aside  the  book,  lighted  a  cigar,  and  gave  himself  up 
to  the  reveries  to  which  this  beautiful,  but  discord 
ant  visage  so  strongly  predisposed  him.  Its  perfec 
tion  in  one  respect,  its  strongly  marked  imperfection 


36  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

in  another,  both  appealed  equally  to  his  artistic  and 
thoughtful  mind.  At  one  moment  it  would  appear 
before  him  with  an  ideal  loveliness  such  as  had  never 
blessed  the  eye  of  his  fancy  even  ;  but  while  he  yet 
looked  the  features  would  distort  themselves  into  the 
vivid  expression  of  some  contemptible  trait,  so  like 
what  he  had  seen  in  reality,  during  the  evening,  that, 
in  uncontrollable  irritation,  he  would  start  up  and 
pace  the  floor. 

His  uncurbed  imagination  conjured  up  all  kinds 
ot  weird  and  grotesque  imagery.  He  found  himself 
commiserating  the  girl's  features  as  if  they  were 
high-toned  captives  held  in  degrading  bondage  by  a 
spiteful  little  monster,  that  delighted  to  put  them  to 
low  and  menial  uses.  To  one  of  his  temperament 
such  beauty  as  he  had  just  witnessed,  controlled  by, 
and  ministering  to,  some  of  the  meanest  and  pettiest 
of  human  vices,  was  like  Mary  Magdalene  when  held 
in  thraldom  by  seven  devils. 

A  cool  and  matter-of-fact  person  could  scarcely 
understand  Van  Berg's  annoyance  and  perturbation. 
If  a  true  artist  were  compelled  to  see  before  him  a 
portrait  that  required  only  a  few  skilful  touches  in 
order  to  become  a  perfect  likeness,  and  yet  could 
not  give  those  touches,  the  picture  would  become  a 
constant  vexation  ;  and  the  better  the  picture,  the 
nearer  it  approached  the  truth,  the  deeper  would  be 
the  irritation  that  all  should  be  spoiled  through  de 
fects  for  which  there  was  no  necessity. 

In  the  face  that  persistently  haunted  him  Van 
Berg  saw  a  beauty  that  might  fulfil  his  best  ideal ; 
and  he  also  saw  just  why  it  did  not  and  never  could, 


AN  ARTIST'S  FREAK.  37 

until  its  defects  were  remedied.  He  felt  a  sense 
of  personal  loss  that  he  should  have  discovered  a 
gem  so  nearly  perfect  and  yet  marred  by  so  fatal  a 
flaw. 

The  next  day  it  was  still  the  same.  The  face  of 
Ida  Mayhew  interposed  itself  before  everything  that 
he  sought  to  do  or  see.  Whether  it  were  true  or  no, 
it  appeared  to  him  that  in  all  his  wanderings  and  ob 
servations  he  had  "neVer  s^eli  features  so  capable  of 
fulfilling  his  highest  conception  of  beauty  did  they 
but  express  the  higher  qualities  and  emotions  of  the 
soul.  He  also  felt  that  never  before  had  he  seen  3. 
face  that  would  seem  to  him  so  hideous  in  its  perver 
sion. 

He  threw  down  his  brush  and  palette  in  despair 
and  again  gave  himself  up  to  his  fancies.  He  then 
sketched  in  outline  the  beautiful  face  as  expressing 
joy,  hope,  courage,  thought  or  love,  but  was  pro 
voked  to  find  that  he  ever  obtained  the  best  likeness 
when  portraying  the  vanity,  silliness,  or  petulance 
which  had  been  the  only  characteristics  he  had  seen. 

He  now  grew  metaphysical  and  tried  to  analyze 
the  girl's  mind.  He  sought  to  mentally  grope  his 
way  back  into  the  recesses  of  the  soul,  which  had 
looked,  acted,  and  spoken  the  previous  evening.  A 
strange  little  place  he  imagined  it,  and  oddly  fur 
nished.  It  occurred  to  him  that  it  bore  a  resemblance 
to  her  dressing  room,  and  was  full  of  queer  fem 
inine  mysteries  and  artificial  ideas  that  had  been  cre 
ated  by  conventional  society  rather  than  inspired  by 
nature. 

He  asked  himself,  "  Can  it  be  that  here  is  a  char- 


38  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

acter  in  which  the  elements  of  a  true  and  good 
woman  do  not  exist  ?  Has  she  no  heart,  no  mind, 
no  conscience  worthy  of  the  name  ?  At  her  age  she 
cannot  have  lost  these  qualities.  Have  they  never 
been  awakened  ?  Do  they  exist  to  that  degree  that 
they  can  be  aroused  into  controlling  activity  ?  I 
suppose  there  can  be  pretty  idiots.  As  people  are 
born  blind  or  scrofulous,  so  I  suppose  others  can  be 
born  devoid  of  heart  or  conscience,  inheriting  from  a 
degenerate  ancestry  sundry  mean  and  vile  propensi 
ties  in  their  places.  Human  nature  is  a  scale  that 
runs  both  up  and  down,  and  it  is  astonishing  how 
far  the  extremes  can  be  apart." 

"  How  high  is  it  possible  for  the  same  individual  to 
rise  in  this  scale  ?  I  imagine  we  are  all  prone  to  judge 
of  people  as  if  they  were  finished  pictures,  and  to  think 
that  the  defects  our  first  scrutiny  discovers  will  remain 
for  all  time.  It  is  in  real  life  much  as  in  fiction. 
From  first  to  last  a  villain  is  a  villain,  as  if  he  had 
been  created  one.  The  heroine  is  a  moss  rose-bud  by 
equal  and  unchanging  necessity.  Is  this  girl  a  fool, 
and  will  she  remain  one  by  any  innate  compulsion  ? 
By  jove  !  I  would  like  to  see  her  again  in  the  search 
ing  light  of  day  ;  I  would  like  to  follow  her  career 
sufficiently  long,  to  discover  whether  nature  has  been 
guilty  of  the  grotesque  crime  of  associating  insep 
arably  with  that  fine  form  and  those  exquisite  feat 
ures,  a  hideous  little  mind  that  must  go  on  intensify 
ing  its  dwarfed  deformity,  until  death  snuffs  it  out. 
If  this  be  true,  the  beautiful  little  monster  that  is 
bothering  me  so  suggests  a  knotty  problem  to  wiser 
-"heads  than  mine."  '  • 


AN  ARTISTS  FREAK. 


39 


Somewhat  later  his  musings  led  him  to  indulge  in 
a  broad  laugh. 

"  Possibly,"  he  said  aloud,  "  she  is  a  modern  and 
fashionable  Undine,  and  has  never  yet  received  a 
woman's  soul.  The  good  Lord  deliver  me  from  trying 
to  awaken  it,  as  did  the  knight  of  old  in  the  story,  by 
swelling  the  long  list  of  her  victims.  I  can  scarcely 
imagine  a  more  pitiable  and  abject  creature  than  a 
man  (once  sane  and  sensible)  in  thraldom  to  such  a 
tantalizing  semblance  of  a  woman.  She  would  no 
more  appreciate  his  devotion  than  the  jackdaw  the 
pearl  necklace  it  pecked  at. 

"  I  fear  my  Undine  theory  won't  answer.  Stanton 
says  she  has  no  heart,  and  her  face  and  manner  con 
firm  his  words.  But  now.  I  think  of  it,  the  original 
Undine  lived  a  long  time  ago — in  the  age  of  primeval 
simplicity,  when  even  cool-blooded  water  nymphs  had 
hearts.  One  is  induced  to  think,  in  our  age,  that  this 
organ  will  eventually  disappear  with  the  other  charac 
teristics  of  ancient  and  undeveloped  man,  and  that 
the  brain,  or  what  stands  for  it,  will  become  all  in  all. 
In  the  first  instance  the  woman's  soul  came  in  through 
the  heart ;  but  I  suppose  that  in  the  case  of  a  modern 
Undine  it  could  enter  most  readily  through  the  head. 
I  wonder  if  there  is  something  like  an  unawakened 
mind,  sleeping  under  that  broad  low  brow  that  mocks 
one  with  its  fair  intellectual  outline.  I  wonder  if 'it 
would  be  possible  to  set  her  thinking,  and  so  event 
ually  render  her  capable  of  receiving  a  woman's  soul. 
As  it  is  now  she  seems  to  possess  only  certain  disagree 
able  feminine  propensities.  One  might  engage  in 
such  an  experiment  as  a  philosopher  rather  than  a 


/•O  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

lover  ;  or,  what  is  more  to  my  purpose,  as  an 
artist. 

"  By  jove  !  I  would  half  like  to  make  the  attempt ; 
it  would  give  zest  to  one's  summer  vacation.  Well, 
what  is  to  hinder  ?  Now  I  think  of  it  she  remarked 
that  she  was  to  spend  the  season  at  the  Lake  House, 
not  far  from  the  Hudson,  a  place  well  suited  to  my 
purposes.  There  are  the  wild  highlands  on  one  side, 
and  a  soft  pastoral  country  on  the  other.  I  could 
there  find  abundant  opportunity  for  varied  studies  in 
scenery,  and  at  the  same  time  beguile  my  idle  hours 
at  the  hotel  with  this  face  of  marvellous  capabilities 
and  possibilities.  The  features  already  exist,  and 
would  be  beautiful  if  the  girl  were  dead,  and  they 
could  be  no  longer  distorted  by  the  small  vices  of^the 
spirit  back  of  them.  They  might  become  transcend- 
antly  beautiful,  could  she  in  very  truth  receive  the 
soul  of  a  true  and  thoughtful  woman — a  soul  such  as 
makes  my  mother  beautiful  in  her  plain  old  age. 

"  I'm  inclined  to  follow  this  odd  fancy.  That  girl 
is  a  rara  avis  such  as  has  never  flown  across  my  path 
before.  I  shall  have  a  quarrel  with  nature  all  my  life 
if  I  must  believe  she  can  fashion  a  face  capable  of  mean 
ing  so  much  and  yet  actually  meaning  so  little,  and 
that  little  disgusting." 

After  a  few  moments  of  deep  thought,  he  again 
started  to  his  feet  and  commenced  pacing  his  studio. 

"  Suppose,"  he  soliloquized,  "  I  attempt  a  novel  bit 
of  artistic  work  as  my  summer  recreation.  Suppose 
I  take  the  face  of  this  stranger  instead  of  a  piece  of 
canvas  and  try  to  illumine  it  with  thought,  with 
womanly  character  and  intelligence.  If  I  fail,  as  I 


AN  ARTIST'S  FREAK.  4! 

probably  shall,  no  harm  will  be  done.  If  her  silliness 
and  vanity  are  ingrained  and  essential  parts  of  her 
nature,  she  shall  learn  that  there  is  at  least  one  man 
who  can  see  her  as  she  is,  and  whose  heart  is  not  wax 
on  which  to  stamp  her  pretty  and  senseless  image. 
If  I  only  partially  succeed,  if  I  discern  she  has  a  mind, 
but  so  feeble  that  it  can  only  half  reclaim  her  from 
her  weakness  and  folly,  still  something  will  be  accom 
plished.  Her  features  are  so  beautiful,  that  should 
they  come  to  express  even  the  glimmerings  of  that 
which  is  admirable,  the  face  will  be  in  part  redeemed. 
But  if  by  some  happy  miracle,  as  in  the  instance  of 
the  original  Undine,  a  mind  can  be  awakened  that 
will  gradually  prepare  a  place  for  the  soul  of  a  true 
woman,  I  shall  accomplish  the  best  work  of  my  life, 
even  estimated  from  an  artistic  point  of  view.  Possi 
bly,  for  my  reward, she  will  permit  me  to  paint  her  por 
trait  as  a  souvenir  of  our  summer's  acquaintance." 

It  did  not  take  Van  Berg  long  to  complete  his 
arrangements  for  leaving  town.  He  wrote  a  line  to 
his  friend  Stanton,  saying  that  he  proposed  spending 
a  few  weeks  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Highlands  on  the 
Hudson,  and  that  he  could  not  say  when  he  would 
be  at  his  rooms  or  at  home  again.  The  afternoon  of 
the  following  day  found  him  a  passenger  on  a  fleet 
steamboat,  and  fully  bent  upon  carrying  out  his  odd 
artistic  freak. 


42 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A   PARTHIAN   ARROW. 

AS,  in  the  quiet  June  evening,  Harold  Van  Berg 
glided  through  the  shadows  of  the  Highlands, 
there  came  a  slight  change  over  his  spirit  of  philo 
sophical  and  artistic  experiment.  The  season  com 
ported  with  his  early  manhood,  and  the  witching 
hour  and  the  scenery  were  not  conducive  to  cold 
philosophy.  He  who  prided  himself  on  his  steady 
pulse  and  a  devotion  to  art  so  absorbing  that  it  even 
prompted  his  impulses  and  gave  character  to  his  re 
creation,  was  led  to  feel,  on  this  occasion,  that  his 
mistress  was  vague  and  shadowy,  and  to  half  wish 
for  that  companionship  which  the  most  self-reliant 
natures  have  craved  at  times,  ever  since  man  first  felt, 
and  God  knew,  that  it  was  "  not  good  for  him  to  be 
alone."  If  he  could  turn  from  the  beauty  of  the  sun- 
tipped  hills  and  rocks  and  the  gloaming  shadows  to 
an  appreciative  and  sympathetic  face,  such  as  he  could 
at  least  imagine  the  visage  of  Ida  Mayhew  might  be 
come,  would  not  his  enjoyment  of  the  beauty  he  saw 
be  doubly  enhanced  ?  In  his  deepest  consciousness 
he  was  compelled  to  admit  that  it  would.  He  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  truth  that  he  would  never  attain  to 
his  highest  manhood  until  he  had  allied  himself  to  a 


PARTHIAN  ARROW. 


43 


womanhood  which  he  should  come  to  believe  su 
premely  true  and  beautiful. 

The  ringing  of  the  bell  announced  his  landing,  and 
in  the  hurry  and  bustle  of  looking  after  his  luggage 
and  obtaining  a  ticket  which  he  had  forgotten  to 
procure,  he  speedily  became  again,  in  the  world's 
estimation,  and  perhaps  in  his  own,  a  practical,  sen 
sible  man.  An  hour  or  two's  ride  among  the  hills 
brought  him  at  last  to  the  Lake  House,  where  he 
selected  a  room  that  had  a  fine  prospect  of  the 
mountains,  the  far  distant  river,  and  the  adjacent 
open  country,  engaging  it  only  for  a  brief  time  so 
that  he  might  depart  when  he  chose,  in  case  the 
object  of  his  pursuit  should  not  appear,  or  he  should 
weary  of  the  effort,  or  despair  of  its  success. 

A  few  days  passed,  but  the  face  which  had  so 
haunted  his  fancy  presented  no  actual  appearance. 
The  scenery,  however,  was  so  beautiful,  the  weather  so 
perfect,  and  he  enjoyed  his  rambles  among  the  hills 
and  his  excursions  on  the  water  so  thoroughly  that  he 
was  already  growing  slightly  forgetful  of  his  purpose 
and  satisfied  that  he  could  enjoy  himself  a  few  weeks 
without  the  zest  of  artistically  redeeming  the  face  of 
Ida  Mayhew.  But  one  day,  while  at  dinner,  he  over 
heard  some  gossip  concerning  a  "great  belle"  who 
was  to  come  that  evening,  and  he  at  once  surmised 
that  it  was  the  fair  stranger  he  had  seen  at  the  con 
cert. 

At  the  time,  therefore,  of  the  arrival  of  the  evening 
stage  he  observantly  puffed  his  cigar  in  a  corner  of 
the  piazza,  and  was  soon  rewarded  by  seeing  the 
object  of  his  contemplated  experiment  step  out  of 


44  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

the  vehicle,  with  the  airy  grace  and  confidence  of  one 
who  regards  each  new  abiding-place  as  a  scene 
of  coming  pleasures  and  conquests,  and  who  feels 
sure  that  every  glance  toward  her  is  one  of  admira 
tion.  There  were  eyes,  however,  that  noted  disap 
provingly  her  jaunty  self-assurance  and  self-assertion, 
and  when  she  met  those  eyes  her  complacency  seemed 
disturbed  at  once,  for  she  flushed  and  promptly 
turned  her  back  upon  them.  In  fact,  from  the  time 
she  had  first  seen  Van  Berg's  frowning  face  it  had 
been  a  disagreeable  memory,  and  now  here  it  was 
again  and  frowning  still.  Although  he  sat  at  a  dis 
tance  from  the  landing-place,  her  eyes  seemed  drawn 
towards  his  as  if  by  some  fascination,  and  she 
already  had  the  feeling  that  whenever  he  was  pres 
ent  she  would  be  conscious  of  his  cool,  critical  obser 
vation. 

Van  Berg  had  scarcely  time  to  note  a  rather  stout 
and  overdressed  person  emerge  from  the  stage,  who 
was  evidently  the  young  lady's  mother,  when  Ik 
Stanton,  with  his  bays  and  a  light  country  wagon, 
dashed  up  to  the  main  entrance.  Stanton  was  an 
element  in  the  artistic  problem  that  Van  Berg  had  not 
bargained  for,  and  what  influence  he  would  have, 
friendly  or  adverse,  only  time  could  show. 

While  Stanton  was  accompanying  his  aunt  and 
cousin  to  the- register,  as  the  gentleman  of  the  party, 
the  young  lady  said  to  him  : 

"  That  horrid  artist  friend  of  yours  is  here.  I  wish 
he  hadn't  come.  Did  you  tell  him  we  were  coming 
here  ?  " 

'•'  No,  'pon  my  honor." 


A    PARTHIAN  ARROW.  45 

"  I  half  believe  you  did.  If  so  I'll  never  forgive 
you,  for  the  very  sight  of  him  spoils  everything." 

"  Come  now,  Coz,  be  reasonable.  From  all  the 
indications  I  have  seen,  Van  Berg  is  the  last  man  to 
follow  you  here  or  anywhere  else,  even  though  he 
knew  of  your  prospective  movements.  He  is  here,  as 
scores  of  others  are,  for  his  own  pleasure.  So  follow 
your  mother  to  your  room,  smooth  your  ruffled  plu 
mage  and  come  down  to  supper." 

Even  Miss  Mayhew's  egotism  could  find  no  fault 
with  so  reasonable  an  explanation,  and  she  went 
pouting  up  the  stairway  in  anything  but  a  compla 
cent  mood. 

Stanton  stepped  out  upon  the  piazza  to  greet  his 
friend,  saying  : 

"  Why,  Van,  it  is  an  unexpected  pleasure  to  find 
you  here." 

"  I  was  equally  and  quite  as  agreeably  surprised  to 
see  you  drive  to  the  door.  If  your  cousin  had  not 
come  I  might  have  helped  you  exercise  your  bays. 
I  am  doing  some  sketching  in  the  vicinity." 

"  My  cousin  shall  not  keep  you  from  many  an  idle 
hour  behind  the  bays — that  is,  if  you  will  not  carry 
your  antipathy  so  far  as  to  cut  me  on  account  of  my 
relationship." 

"  I'm  not  conscious  of  any  antipathy  for  Miss  May- 
hew,"  replied  Van  Berg,  with  a  slight  shrug. 

"  Oh,  only  indifference  !  Well,  if  you  will  both 
maintain  that  attitude  there  will  be  no  trouble  about 
the  bays  or  anything  else.  I'll  smoke  with  you  after 
supper." 

ki  She  evidently  has  an  antipathy  for  me,"  mused 


46  A    FACE   ILLUMINED. 

Van  Berg.  "  Stanton,  no  doubt,  has  told  her  of  my 
uncomplimentary  remarks,  and  possibly  of  the  fact 
that  I  declined  an  introduction.  That's  awkward, 
for  if  I  should  now  ask  to  be  presented  to  her,  she 
would  very  naturally  decline,  and  so  we  might  drift 
into  something  as  closely  resembling  a  quarrel  as  is 
possible  in  the  case  of  two  people  who  have  never 
spoken  to  each  other." 

He  concluded  that  it  would  be  best  to  leave  to 
chance  the  occasion  which  should  place  them  on 
speaking  terms,  and  tried  to  persuade  himself  that 
her  unpromising  attitude  towards  him  was  not  wholly 
unfavorable  to  his  purpose.  He  never  could  hope  to 
accomplish  anything  without  at  first  piquing  her  pride 
and  wounding  her  vanity.  His  only  fear  was  that  this 
had  been  done  too  effectually,  and  that  from  first  to 
last  she  would  simply  detest  him. 

In  his  preoccupation  he  forgot  that  the  supper 
hour  was  passing,  but  at  last  started  hastily  for  his 
room.  As  he  rapidly  turned  a  sharp  corner  he  near 
ly  ran  into  two  ladies  who  were  coming  from  an  op 
posite  direction,  and  looking  up  saw  Mrs.  Mayhew 
and  the  flushed,  resentful  face  of  her  daughter.  In 
spite  of  himself  our  even-pulsed  philosopher  flushed 
also,  but  instantly  removing  his  hat  he  ejaculated  : 

'*  I  beg  your  pardon,"  and  passed  on. 

As  Ida  joined  her  cousin  at  the  supper-table  she 
whispered  exultantly : 

"  He  has  spoken  to  me." 

"  Who  has  spoken  to  you  ?  " 

"'  Your  artist-bear." 

"  How  did  that  happen  ?  " 


A   PARTHIAN  ARROW.  ^ 

"Well,  he  nearly  ran  over  me — horrid  thing!  I 
suppose  that's  another  of  his  peculiar  ways." 

"  Did  he  embrace  you  ?  " 

"  Embrace  me  !  Good  heavens,  what  an  escape  I 
have  had  !  So  this  too  is  a  characteristic  of  your 
friend  ?  " 

"  You  said  he  was  a  bear.  If  so,  he  should  have 
given  you  a  hug  on  the  first  opportunity." 

"  He  didn't  have  an  opportunity,  and  he  never 
will 

"  Poor  fellow  !  It  will  make  him  sick  if  I  tell  him 
so.  Well,  since  it  is  another  case  of  beauty  and  the 
beast,  what  did  the  beast  say  ?  " 

"  He  said  what  it  was  very  proper  he  should  say 
to  me  after  all  his  hatefulness.  He  said,  '  I  beg  your 
pardon.'  " 

"  And  then  I  suppose  you  kissed  and  made  up." 

"  Hush,  you  horrid  thing.  I  noticed  him  no  more 
than  I  would  a  chair  that  I  might  have  stumbled 
over." 

"  Thus  displaying  that  sweet  trait  of  yours — Chari 
ty.  But  I  thought  it  was  he  that  stumbled  over 
you  ?  " 

"  A  musty,  miserable  pun  !  It  was  he,  and  I'm  de 
lighted  it  so  happened,  that  the  first  time  he  ever 
spoke  to  me  he  had  to  ask  my  pardon." 

"Well,  well!  I'm  glad  it  so  happened,  too,  and 
that  the  ice  is  broken  between  you,  for  Van  Berg  is  a 
good  friend  of  mine,  and  it  would  be  confoundedly 
disagreeable  to  have  you  two  lowering  at  each  other 
across  a  bloody  chasm  of  dark,  revengeful  thoughts." 

"  The  ice  isn't  broken  at  all.     He  has  begged  my 


48  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

pardon  as  he  ought  to  do  a  hundred  times ;  but  I 
haven't  granted  it,  and  I  never  will.  What's  more, 
I'll  never  »speak  to  him  in  all  my  life  ;  never,  never  !  " 

"  Swear  it  by  the  '  inconstant  moon  '  !  " 

"  Hush,  here  he  comes.  Ah,  peste  !  his  table  is 
right  opposite  ours." 

"  Who  is  that  tall  and  rather  distinguished-looking 
gentleman  that  just  entered  ?  "asked  Mrs.  Mayhew, 
suddenly  emerging  from  a  pre-occupation  with  her 
supper  which  a  good  appetite  had  induced. 

"  He  is  distinguished,  or  will  be.  He's  a  partic 
ular  friend  of  Ida's,  and  is  as  rich  as  Crcesus." 

"  Three  items  in  his  favor,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew 
complacently;  "but  Ida  has  so  many  friends,  or 
beaux,  rather,  that  I  can't  keep  track  of  them.  Her 
friends  speedily  become  furnace-like  lovers,  or  else 
escape  for  their  lives  into  the  dim  and  remote  region 
of  mere  bowing  acquaintanceship.  I  once  tried  to  keep 
a  list  of  the  various  and  variegated  gentlemen  with 
red  whiskers  and  black  whiskers,  with  whiskers  sandy, 
brown  and  occasionally  almost  white,  but  borrowing  a 
golden  hue  from  their  purses,  that  appeared  and  dis 
appeared  so  rapidly,  as  to  almost  make  me  dizzy.  I 
was  about  as  bewildered  as  the  poor  Indian  who 
sought  to  take  the  census  of  London  by  notching  a 
stick  for  every  passer-by  he  met.  And  now  before 
we  are  through  supper  on  the  first  evening  of  our  ar 
rival,  another  appears,  who  is  evidently  an  eligible 
parti  and  twice  as  good  as  the  minx  deserves  ;  but 
in  a  few  days  he,  too,  will  vanish  into  thin  air,  and 
another  and  different  style  of  man  will  take  his  place. 
Mark  my  words,  Ida,  you  will  be  through  the  woods 


A    PART  HI  AX  ARROW. 


49 


before  long,  and  I  expect  you  will  take  up  with  the 
crookedest  of  crooked  sticks  on  the  farther  side," 
and  the  voluble  Mrs.  Mayhew  resumed  her  supper 
with  a  zest  which  this  dismal  prospect  did  not  by  any 
means  impair. 

"If  I  were  in  search  of  a  crabbed,  crooked  stick, 
I  would  not  have  to  look  farther  than  yonder  table," 
said  the  young  lady,  petulantly;  "what  you  sup 
pose  about  that  dabbler  in  paint  is  about  as  far  from 
the  truth  as  your  sketch  of  those  who  are  my  friends. 
That  man  never  was  my  friend,  and  never  shall  be.  I 
don't  want  you  to  get  acquainted  with  him  or  speak 
to  him.  You  must  not  introduce  him  to  me,  for  if 
you  do,  I  shall  be  rude  to  him." 

"  Hoity-toity  !  what's  the  matter?" 

"  I  don't  like  him.  Only  Ik  thinks  he's  wonderful. 
He  has  probably  blinded  our  cousin  to  his  faults  by 
painting  a  flattering  likeness  of  the  vain  youth  here." 

"  But  in  suggesting  another  portrait  that  was  not 
altogether  pleasing,  he  sinned  beyond  hope,"  whis 
pered  Stanton. 

Ida  bit  her  lip  and  frowned,  recalling  the  obnox 
ious  artist's  portrait  of  herself  as  giggling  and  flirting 
through  one  of  Beethoven's  symphonies  ;  and  she 
said,  spitefully  : 

"  He  can  never  hope  for  anything  from  me." 

"  Poor,  hopeless  wretch  !  "  groaned  Stanton.  "  How 
can  he  sip  his  tea  yonder  so  complacently  oblivious 
of  his  doom  ?  " 

"  Mother,  I'm  in  earnest,"  resumed  the  daughter. 
"  I  have  reasons  for  disliking  that  man,  and  I  do  not 
wish  the  annoyance  of  his  acquaintance." 
3 


50  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew  ;  "as  long  as  the 
wind  blows  from  that  cool  quarter,  we  can  keep  cool 
till  it  changes.  If  I  mistake  not,  he  is  the  same  gen 
tleman  who  met  us  in  the  corridor.  I'm  sure  he  has 
fine  manners." 

1 '  If  it  is  fine  manners  in  a  man  to  nearly  run  over 
two  ladies,  he  is  perfect.  But  I  am  sick  of  hearing 
about  him,  and  especially  of  seeing  him.  I  insist,  Ik, 
that  you  have  our  table  changed  to  yonder  corner, 
and  then  arrange  it  so  that  I  can  sit  with  my  back 
towards  him." 

"  I  am  your  Caliban,  but  would  hint,  my  amiable 
Coz,  that  you  should  not  bite  off  your  own  pretty 
nose  in  spite.  Must  all  your  kin  join  in  this  bitter 
feud  ?  May  I  not  smoke  with  my  ancient  familiar?  " 

"  Oh,  be  off,  and  if  you  and  your  friend  disappear 
like  your  cigars,  the  world  will  survive." 

"  I  fear  it  is  because  my  friend  will  never  dissolve 
in  sighs  that  you  are  so  willing  he  should  end  in 
smoke." 

Having  winged  this  Parthian  arrow  over  his  shoul 
der,  Stanton  strolled  out  on  the  piazza  whither  Van 
Berg  had  preceded  him. 


SPITE.  5 1 


CHAPTER  V. 

SPITE. 

MISS  MAYHEW  apparently  had  not  given  a 
single  glance  to  the  artist,  as  he  sat  opposite  to 
her  and  but  a  little  out  of  earshot.  Indeed,  so  well 
did  she  simulate  unconsciousness  of  his  presence,  that 
were  it  not  for  an  occasional  glance  from  Mrs.  May- 
hew  he  might  have  thought  himself  unnoticed  ;  but 
something  in  that  lady's  manner,  as  caught  by  oc 
casional  glances,  led  him  to  suspect  that  he  was  the 
subject  of  their  conversation. 

But  Ida's  indifference  was,  in  truth,  only  seeming; 
for  although  she  never  looked  directly  at  him,  she 
subjected  his  image,  which  was  constantly  flitting 
across  the  retina  of  her  eye,  to  the  closest  scrutiny, 
and  no  act  or  expression  of  his  escaped  her.  She 
was  piqued  by  the  fact  that  he  showed  no  disturbed 
consciousness  of  her  presence,  and  that  his  glance  was 
occasionally  as  free  and  natural  towards  her  as  towards 
any  other  guest  of  the  house.  His  bearing  annoyed 
her  excessively,  for  it  seemed  an  easy  and  quiet  asser 
tion  of  indifference  and  superiority — two  manifesta 
tions  that  were  to  her  as  objectionable  as  unusual. 
Neither  in  looks  nor  manner  did  she  appear  very 
agreeable  during  the  brief  time  she  spent  in  the 


52  A    FACE   ILLUMINED. 

public  parlors.  The  guests  of  the  house,  even  to  the 
ladies  who  foresaw  an  eclipse  of  their  own  charms, 
were  compelled  to  admit  that  she  was  very  pretty  ; 
but  it  was  a  general  remark  that  her  face  did  not 
make  or  leave  a  pleasant  impression. 

Van  Berg  surmised  that  Stanton's  disposition  to 
teaze  and  banter  would  lead  him  to  repeat  and,  per 
haps,  distort,  anything  he  might  say  concerning  the 
young  lady,  so  he  made  no  reference  whatever  to  the 
Mayhews,  but  took  pains  to  give  the  impression 
that  he  was  deeply  interested  in  the  scenery. 

"  I  shall  probably  be  off  with  my  sketch-book  be 
fore  you  are  up,"  he  said  ;  "  for  if  I  remember  cor 
rectly,  you  are  up  with  the  lark  only  when  you  have 
been  up  over-night." 

"  You  are  the  greater  sinner  of  the  two,"  yawned 
Stanton;  "for  if  I  occasionally  keep  unseasonable 
hours  at  night,  you  do  so  habitually  in  the  morning. 
Either  you  are  not  as  brilliant  as  usual  this  evening, 
or  else  the  country  air  makes  me  drowsy.  Good 
night.  We  will  take  a  ride  to-morrow,  and  you  can 
sketch  five  miles  of  fence  if  you  find  that  you  cannot 
resist  your  mania  for  work." 

Perhaps  Stanton  had  found  his  friend  slightly  pre 
occupied,  for,  in  spite  of  the  constraint  he  had  put 
upon  himself  to  appear  as  usual,  this  second  and  closer 
view  of  the  face  which  had  taken  so  strong  a  hold 
upon  his  fancy  did  not  dissipate  his  first  impressions. 
Indeed,  they  were  deepened  rather,  for  he  saw  again 
and  more  clearly  the  same  marvellous  capabilities  in 
the  features,  and  also  their  exasperating  failure  to 
make  a  beautiful  face. 


SPITE.  53 

He  dreamed  over  his  project  some  little  time  after 
his  friend  had  retired,  and  the  conclusion  of  his 
revery  was  : 

"  I  must  soon  make  some  progress  in  my  experi 
ment  or  else  decamp,  for  that  girl's  contradictory  face 
is  a  constant  incentive  to  profanity." 

After  seeing  Mrs.  Mayhew,  however,  he  felt  that 
justice  required  him  to  admit  that  the  daughter  was 
a  natural  and  logical  sequence  ;  and  in  the  mother  he 
saw  an  element  more  hopelessly  inartistic  and  dis 
heartening  than  anything  in  the  girl  herself ;  for  even 
if  the  latter  could  be  changed,  would  not  the  shadow 
of  the  stout  and  dressy  mother  ever  fall  athwart  the 
picture  ? 

Van  Berg  retired  with  the  feeling  that  his  project 
of  illumining  a  face  by  awakening  a  mind  that,  as  yet, 
had  slept,  did  not  promise  Very  brilliantly. 

Miss  Mayhew  tried  to  persuade  herself  that  it  was 
a  relief  not  to  see  the  critical  artist  at  breakfast,  nor  to 
meet  him  as  she  strolled  from  the  parlors  to  the 
piazza  and  thence  to  the  croquet-ground,  where  she 
listlessly  declined  to  take  part  in  a  game. 

There  was,  in  truth,  great  need  that  her  mind 
should  be  awakened  and  her  whole  nature  radically 
changed,  if  it  were  a  possible  thing, — a  need  shown  by 
the  fact  the  fair  June  morning,  with  its  fragrance  and 
beauty,  could  not  light  up  her  face  with  its  own  fresh 
ness  and  gladness.  The  various  notes  of  the  birds 
were  only  sounds ;  the  landscape,  seen  for  the  first 
time,  was  like  the  map  of  Switzerland,  that,  in  the 
days  of  her  geography  lessons,  gave  her  as  vivid  an 
idea  of  the  country  as  a  dry  sermon  does  of  heaven. 


54  A    FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Although  her  ears  and  eyes  were  so  pretty,  she  was, 
in  the  deepest  and  truest  sense  of  the  word,  deaf  and 
blind.  The  lack  of  some  petty  and  congenial  excite 
ment  made  time  hang  heavily  on  her  hands  and 
clouded  her  face  with  tnnui. 

Even  her  cousin  had  failed  her,  for  he  was  down  at 
the  stables,  making  arrangements  for  the  care  of  his 
bays  and  his  carriage.  Thus  from  very  idleness  she 
fell  to  nursing  her  small  spite  against  the  man  whose 
voice  had  made  such  harsh  discord  with  the  honeyed 
chorus  of  flattery  to  which  she  was  accustomed.  She 
wished  that  he  would  appear,  and  that  in  some  way 
she  might  show  how  little  she  cared  for  him  or  his 
opinion ;  but  as  he  did  not,  she  at  last  lounged  to  her 
room  and  sought  to  kill  a  few  hours  with  a  novel. 

Her  wounded  pride,  however,  induced  her  to  dress 
quite  elaborately  for  dinner ;  for  she  had  faith  in  no 
better  way  of  asserting  her  personality  than  that 
afforded  by  the  toilet.  She  would  teach  him,  by  the 
admiration  she  excited  in  others,  how  mistaken  he 
had  been  in  his  estimate,  and  her  vanity  whispered 
that  even  he  could  not  look  upon  her  beauty  for  any 
length  of  time  without  being  won  by  it  as  so  many 
others  had  been. 

The  change  of  seats  having  been  effected,  she 
scarcely  thought  it  necessary  to  turn  her  back  upon 
him  while  sitting  at  such  a  dim  distance.  Indeed  she 
was  inclined  to  regret  the  change,  for  now  her  toilet 
and  little  airs,  which  she  imagined  to  be  so  pretty, 
would  be  lost  upon  him. 

It  would  seem  that  they  were,  for  Van  Berg  ate  his 
dinner  as  quietly,  and  chatted  as  unconcernedly  to 


SPITE.  55 

those  about  him  as  if  she  had  no  existence.  Never 
had  a  man  ignored  her  so  completely  before,  and  she 
felt  that  she  could  never  forgive  him. 

After  the  event  of  the  day  was  over,  and  the  guests 
were  circling  and  eddying  through  the  halls  and 
parlors  and  out  on  the  piazza,  Ida  still  had  the  annoy 
ance  of  observing  that  Van  Berg  was  utterly  oblivious 
of  her  as  far  as  she  could  perceive.  He  spoke  here 
and  there  with  the  ease  and  freedom  of  one  familiar 
with  society,  and  she  saw  more  eyes  following  his  tall 
form  approvingly  than  were  turned  towards  herself. 
Few  gentlemen  remained  at  the  house  during  the 
week,  and  Miss  Mayhew  was  not  a  favdrite  with  her 
own  sex.  Those  who  most  closely  resembled  her  in 
character  envied  rather  than  admired  her,  and  those 
who  were  better  endowed  and  developed  found  fault 
even  with  her  beauty  from  a  moral  point  of  view,  as 
Van  Berg  had  on  artistic  grounds.  She  consoled 
herself,  however,  with  the  thought  that  it  was  Satur 
day,  and  that  the  evening  boat  and  trains  would  bring 
a  number  of  gentlemen,  among  whom  she  told  Stan-* 
ton,  exultantly,  that  she  had  "some  friends" — moths 
rather  whose  wings  were  in  danger  of  being  singed. 

As^the  afternoon  was  not  sultry,  Stanton  had  said 
to  his  friend  that  they  could  enjoy  their  cigars  and  a 
ride  at  the  same  time,  and  that  he  would  drive  around 
for  him  in  a  few  minutes.  Ida  overheard  the  remark, 
and,  quietly  slipping  off  to  her  room,  returned  with 
her  hat  and  shawl.  As  her  cousin  approached  she 
hastened  down  the  steps,  past  Van  Berg,  exclaiming: 

"Oh,  thank  you,  Ik!  How  good  of  you!  I  was 
dying  for  a  ride.  Don't  trouble  yourself.  I  can  get 


56  A    FACE   ILLUMINED. 

in  without  aid,"  and  she  sprang  lightly  into  the  buggy 
before  her  cousin  could  utter  a  word. 

He  turned  with  a  look  of  comic  dismay  and  depre 
cation  to  his  friend,  who  stood  laughing  on  the  steps. 
Ida,  also,  could  not  resist  her  inclination  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  artist's  chagrin  and  disappointment, 
but  she  was  provoked  beyond  measure  to  find  him 
acting  as  if  Stanton  were  the  victim  rather  than  him 
self.  As  the  sweep  of  the  road  again  brought  them 
in  view  of  the  piazza,  this  impression  was  confirmed 
by  seeing  Van  Berg  stroll  carelessly  away,  compla 
cently  purring  his  cigar  as  if  he  had  already  dismissed 
her  from  his  mind. 

"  Really,"  grumbled  Stanton/'  I  never  had  beauty 
and  happiness  thrust  upon  me  so  unexpectedly  be 
fore." 

"  Very  well  then,"  retorted  Ida  ;  "  stop  your  horses 
and  thrust  me  out  into  the  road.  I'd  rather  go  back, 
even  if  I  have  to  walk." 

"  Oh,  no!  there  is  to  be  no  going  back  for  two 
hours  or  more.  I  once  cured  a  horse  of  running 
away  by  making  him  run  long  after  he  wanted  to 
stop." 

"  You  seem  to  be  learning  your  friend's  hateful 
manners." 

"  I  asked  you  this  morning  if  you  would  take  a 
drive,  and  you  declined." 

"  I  changed  my  mind. 

"Very  abruptly,  indeed,  it  seemed.  Since  you 
took  so  much  trouble  to  annoy  my  friend,  it's  a  pity 
you  failed." 

"  I  don't  believe  I  failed.     He's  probably  as  cross 


SPITE. 


57 


as  you  arc  about  it,  only  he  can  keep  it  to  him 
self." 

"  Dove-like  creatiah  !  thanks.  Will  you  please 
drive  while  I  light  a  cigar  ?  " 

"  I  don't  like  any  one  to  smoke  as  near  me  as  you 
are." 

"  If  your  theory  in  regard  to  Van  Berg  is  correct, 
none  of  us  will  enjoy  what  we  like  this  afternoon. 
Of  course  I  never  smoke  without  a  lady's  permission, 
but  unless  quieted  by  a  cigar,  I  am  a  very  reckless 
driver,"  and  he  enforced  his  words  by  a  sharp  crack 
of  the  whip,  which  sent  the  horses  off  like  the  wind. 

"  Oh,  stop  them  ;  smoke  ;  do  anything  hateful  you 
wish,  so  you  don't  break  my  neck.  I  will  never  ride 
with  you  again,  and  I  wish  I  had  never  come  to  this 
horrid  place  ;  and  if  your  sneering  painter  does  not 
leave  soon,  I  will." 

"  I'm  afraid  Van  would  survive,  and  you  only  suf 
fer  from  your  spite.  But  come,  since  you  have  so 
sweetly  permitted  me  to  smoke,  I'll  make  your  pen 
ance  as  light  as  possible,  and  then  we  will  consider 
matters  even  between  us,"  and  away  they  bowled  up 
breezy  hills  and  down  into  shady  valleys,  Stanton 
stolidly  smoking,  and  Ida  nursing  her  petty  wrath. 
Two  flitting  ghosts  hastening  to  escape  from  the 
light  of  day,  could  not  have  seen  less,  or  have  felt  less 
sympathy  with  the  warm  beautiful  scenes  through 
which  they  were  passing.  There  is  no  insulation  so 
perfect  as  that  of  small,  selfish  natures  preoccupied 
with  a  pique. 

When,  late  in  the  afternoon,  her  cousin,  with  mock 
politeness,  assisted  her  to  alight  at  the  entrance  of  the 
3* 


58  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

hotel,  Ida  was  compelled  to  feel  that  she  had  indeed 
been  the  chief  victim  of  her  own  spite.  But,  with  the 
usual  logic  of  human  nature,  she  never  thought  of 
blaming  herself,  and  her  resentment  was  chiefly  direct 
ed  against  the  man  whose  every  word  and  glance, 
although  he  was  but  a  stranger,  had  seemed  to  pos 
sess  a  power  to  annoy  and  wound  from  the  first. 
She  felt  an  almost  venomous  desire  to  retaliate  ;  but 
he  appeared  invulnerable  in  his  quiet  and  easy  superi 
ority,  while  she,  who  expected,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
that  all  masculine  thoughts  should  follow  her  admir 
ingly,  had  been  compelled  to  see  that  his  critical  eyes 
had  detected  that  in  her  which  had  awakened  his  con 
tempt. 

"  I'll  teach  him  this  evening,  when  my  gentlemen 
friends  arrive,  how  ridiculous  are  his  airs,"  she  mut 
tered,  as  she  went  to  her  room  and  sought  to  enhance 
her  beauty  by  all  the  arts  of  which  she  was  the  mis 
tress.  "  I'll  show  him  that  there  are  plenty  who  can 
see  what  he  cannot,  or  will  not.  Because  he  is  an 
artist,  he  need  not  think  he  can  face  me  out  of  the 
knowledge  of  my  beauty,  the  existence  of  which  I 
have  been  assured  of  by  so  many  eyes  and  tongues 
ever  since  I  can  remember." 

When  she  came  down  to  await  the  arrival  of  the 
stages  and  carriages,  she  was  indeed  radiant  with  all 
the  beauty  of  which  she  was  then  capable.  Her  neck 
and  shoulders,  with  their  exquisite  lines  and  curves, 
were  more  suggestively  revealed  than  hidden  by  a 
slight  drapery  of  gauze-like  illusion,  and  her  white 
rounded  arms  were  bare.  She  trod  with  the  light 
airy  grace  of  youth,  and  yet  with  the  assured  manner 


SPITE. 


59 


of  one  who  is  looking  forward  to  the  familiar  experi 
ences  of  a  reigning  belle. 

Van  Berg,  from  his  quiet  corner  of  observation, 
was  compelled  to  admit  that,  seen  at  her  present  dis 
tance,  she  almost  embodied  his  best  dreams,  and 
might  do  so  wholly  were  there  less  of  the  fashionable 
art  of  the  hour,  and  more  of  nature  in  her  appear 
ance.  But  he  knew  well  that  if  she  came  nearer,  and 
spoke  so  as  to  reveal  herself,  the  fatal  defect  in  her 
beauty  would  be  as  apparent  as  a  black  line  running 
athwart  the  sculptured  face  of  a  Greek  goddess. 
The  only  question  with  him  was,  did  the  ominous 
deformity  lie  so  near  the  surface  that  it  could  be  re 
fined  away,  or  was  it  ingrained  into  the  very  mate 
rial  of  her  nature,  thus  forming  an  essential  part  of 
herself?  He  feared  that  the  latter  might  be  true,  or 
that  the  remedy  was  far  beyond  his  skill  or  power ; 
but  every  glance  he  caught  of  the  girl,  as  with  her 
mother  she  paced  the  farther  end  of  the  piazza,  deep 
ened  his  regret,  as  an  artist,  that  so  much  beauty 
should  be  in  degrading  bondage  to  a  seeming  fool. 


60  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

RECKLESS   WORDS  AND   DEEDS. 

1GHT  carnages  now  began  to  wheel  rapidly  up 
J — *  to  the  entrance,  and  were  followed  soon  by  the 
lumbering  and  heavily-laden  stages.  Joyous  greetings 
and  merry  repartee  made  the  scene  pleasant  to  wit 
ness  even  by  one  who,  like  Van  Berg,  had  no  part  in 
it.  Stanton,  who  at  this  moment  joined  him,  drew 
his  special  attention  to  a  thin  and  under-sized  gentle 
man  somewhat  past  middle  age,  who  mounted  the 
steps  with  a  tread  that  was  as  inelastic  as  his  face  was 
devoid  of  animation. 

"There  is  poor  Uncle  Mayhew,"  remarked  the 
young  man  indifferently.  "  I  suppose  I  must  go  and 
speak  to  him." 

"  Mr.  Mayhew  ?  "  said  Van  Berg,  in  some  surprise. 
"  You  have  not  spoken  of  him  before.  I  was  not 
aware  that  there  was  any  such  person  in  existence." 

''You  are  not  to  blame  for  that,"  replied  Stanton 
with  a  shrug.  "  You  might  have  been  one  of  the 
friends  of  the  family  and  scarcely  have  learned  the 
fact.  Indeed,  poor  man,  he  only  about  half  exists, 
for  he  has  been  so  long  overshadowed  by  his  fashion 
able  wife  and  daughter,  that  he  is  but  a  sickly  plant 
of  a  man." 


RECKLESS  WORDS  AND  DEEDS.       6 1 

Van  Berg  saw  that  the  greeting  received  by  Mr. 
Mayhew  from  his  wife  and  daughter  was  very 
undemonstrative,  to  say  the  least,  and  that  then  the 
gentleman  quickly  disappeared  as  if  fearing  that  he 
might  be  in  the  way. 

"From  my  very  limited  means  of  judging,"  Van 
Berg  remarked,  "  I  cannot  see  anything  more  objec 
tionable  in  the  head  of  the  family  than  in  the  other 
members." 

"  Your  phrase,  '  head  of  the  family,'  as  applied  to 
Mr.  Mayhew,  makes  me  smile.  His  name  figures  at 
the  head  of  the  large  family  bills,  but  scarcely  else 
where  with  much  prominence.  You  will  soon  learn, 
if  you  remain  here,  that  Mr.  Mayhew  imbibes  rather 
more  than  is  good  for  him,  so  I  may  as  well  mention 
the  disagreeable  fact  at  once.  But  to  do  the  poor 
man  justice,  I  suppose  he  drinks  to  keep  his  spirits  up 
to  the  ordinary  level,  rather  than  from  any  hope  of 
becoming  a  little  jolly  occasionally.  Why  my  aunt 
married  him  I  scarcely  know.  As  it  is,  his  life  seems 
to  consist  of  toiling  and  moiling  all  the  week,  and  of 
stolidly  and  joylessly  soaking  himself  into  semi- 
stupidity  on  Sunday.  If  tjiis  wretched  state  of  affairs 
could  be  kept  secret  I  would  not  mention  it,  even  to 
you  my  intimate  friend  but,  since  it  continues  no 
secret ;  wherever  they  happen  to  remain  for  any  length 
of  time,  I  would  rather  tell  you  the  exact  truth  at 
once  than  permit  you  to  guess  at  it  through  distorted 
rumors.  As  you  artists  occasionally  express  your 
selves  concerning  pictures,  so  I  suppose  you  will  think 
that  this  family,  with  all  its  wealth,  is  quite  lacking  in 
tone." 


62  A   FACE  ILL  I/MINED. 

"  Well,  Stanton,  I  must  admit  that  I  find  myself 
chiefly  inclined  towards  the  subdued  and  neutral-tinted 
Mr.  Mayhew.  If  you  have  a  chance  I  wish  you 
would  introduce  me  to  him." 

"  Are  you  in  earnest  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  Then  I'll  ask  him  to  smoke  with  us  after  supper. 
Well,  Van,  I  congratulate  you  again  that  your  correct 
and  cultivated  taste  enabled  you  to  see  the  fatal  flaw 
in  my  cousin's  beauty.  If  you  had  been  bewitched 
by  her,  and  had  insisted  on  imagining  (as  so  many 
others  have  done)  that  her  faultless  features  were  the 
reflex  of  what  she  is  or  could  become  in  mind  and 
character,  I  might  have  had  a  good  deal  of  trouble  with 
you  ;  for  you  are  a  mulish  fellow  when  you  get  a  pur 
pose  in  your  head.  I  don't  care  how  badly  singed  the 
average  run  of  moths  become.  You  may  see  two  or 
three  fluttering  around  to-night,  if  you  care  to  look  on, 
but  I  wish  no  friend  of  mine  to  make  sport,  at  serious 
cost  to  himself,  for  yonder  incorrigible  coquette,  if  she 
is  my  cousin.  But  after  what  you  have  seen  and 
now  know,  you  would  be  safe  enough,  even  if  predis 
posed  to  folly.  The  little  minx  !  but  I  punished  her 
well  for  her  spite  this  afternoon." 

"  O  most  prudent  Ulysses  !  you  have  indeed  filled 
my  ears  with  wax.  I  thank  you  all  the  same  as  if  my 
danger  were  greater." 

"  Well,  view  them  all  with  such  charity  as  you  can. 
I  hope  you  were  not  very  much  annoyed  by  the  loss 
of  your  ride.  The  young  lady  will  not  be  in  a  hurry 
to  play  such  a  trick  again.  I'll  join  you  after  supper 
in  this  your  favorite  and  out-of-the-way  corner." 


RECKLESS    WORDS  AND   DEEDS.  63 

"  Was  beauty  ever  environed  within  and  without 
by  such  desperately  prosaic  and  inartistic  surround 
ings  ?"  mused  Van  Berg.  "  It  glistens  like  a  lost 
jewel  in  an  ash-barrel ;  or,  more  correctly,  it  is  like 
an  exquisite  flower  that  nature  has  perversely  made 
the  outcome  of  a  rank  and  poisonous  vine.  Of 
course  the  flower  is  poisonous  also,  and  as  soon  as 
its  first  delicate  bloom  is  over,  will  grow  as  rank  and 
repulsive  as  the  vine  that  bears  it.  Like  produces 
like  ;  and  with  such  parentage,  what  hope  is  there 
for  her  ?  I  am  glad  no  one  suspects  my  absurd  pro 
ject  ;  for  every  hour  convinces  me  of  its  impracti 
cability.  The  ancient  Undine  was  a  myth,  and  my 
modern  Undine  might  be  called  a  white  lie,  but  one 
that  will  grow  darker  every  day.  At  a  distance  she 
presents  the  resemblance  of  a  very  fair  woman,  but  I 
have  been  unable  to  detect  a  single  element  yet  that 
will  prevent  her  .from  developing  into  an  old  and 
ugly  hag,  in  spite  of  all  that  art  and  costume  car.  di 
for  her." 

After  supper  Stanton  brought  Mr.  Mayhew  to  Van 
Berg's  retired  nook,  and  the  artist  gave  the  hand  of 
the  weary,  listless  man  such  a  cordial  pressure  as  to 
cause  him  a  slight  surprise,  but  after  satisfying  his 
faint  interest  by  a  brief  glance,  he  turned  the  back 
of  his  chair  towards  all  the  gay  company,  although  it 
contained  his  wife  and  daughter,  puffed  mechanically 
at  his  cigar,  and  looked  vacantly  into  space.  Before  the 
evening  was  over,  however,  Van  Berg  had  drawn  from 
him  several  quite  animated  remarks,  and  secured  the 
promise  that  he  would  join  him  and  Stanton  in  a  ram 
ble  immediately  after  breakfast  the  following  morning. 


64  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Nor  had  the  young  man  been  oblivious  of  the 
daughter  who  now  seemed  in  her  native  element. 
From  his  dusky  point  of  observation  he  caught  fre 
quent  glimpses  of  her,  now  whirling  through  a  waltz 
in  the  parlor,  now  talking  and  laughing  in  a  rather 
pronounced  way  from  the  midst  of  a  group  of  gentle 
men,  and  again  coquettishly  stealing  off  with  one  of 
them  through  the  moonlit  walks.  Her  manner, 
whether  assumed  or  real,  was  that  of  extravagant 
gaiety.  Occasionally  she  seemed  to  glance  towards 
their  obscure  corner,  but  neither  she  nor  her  mother 
came  to  seek  the  man  who  had  been  toiling  all  the 
week  to  maintain  their  idle  luxury. 

As  Mrs.  Mayhew  and  her  daughter  were  prepar 
ing  for  dinner  on  the  following  day,  Mr.  Mayhew 
entered  with  a  brisker  step  than  usual. 

"Why,  father,  where  have  you  been  ?  "  Ida  asked, 
surprised  by  the  fact  that  he  had  not  been  drinking 
and  dozing  in  his  room  all  the  morning. 

"  I  have  been  shown  a  glimpse  of  something  that 
I  have  not  seen  for  many  years." 

"  Indeed,  and  what  is  that  ?  " 

"  Beauty  that  seemed  beautiful." 

"  That's  a  compliment  to  us,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Mayhew,  acidly. 

"  I  mean  the  kind  of  beauty  which  does  one  good 
and  makes  a  man  wish  that  he  were  a  man." 

"  Do  you  mean  an  unmarried  man  ?  "  said  his  wife 
with  a  discordant  laugh. 

"  Probably  your  own  wishes  suggested  that  speech, 
madam,"  replied  the  husband,  bitterly. 

"  And     pray,     where     did     you     find    so     much 


RECKLESS  WORDS  AND  DEEDS.       6$ 

beauty  ?  "  said  Mrs.   Mayhew,  ignoring  his  last  re 
mark. 

"  On  a  breezy  hill-side.  It's  a  kind  of  beauty, 
too,  that  one  can  enjoy  without  paying  numberless 
bills  for  its  enhancement.  I  refer  to  that  of  the 
scenery." 

"Oh,"  remarked  Mrs.  Mayhew,  indifferently; 
"  it  would  have  been  more  to  your  credit  if  you  had 
gone  to  church  instead  of  tramping  around  the 
fields." 

"  I  think  the  fields  have  done  more  for  me  than 
church  for  you." 

"  Why  so  ?  "  was  the  sharp  response. 

"  They  have  at  least  kept  me  from  indulging  in  one 
bad  habit.  I  am  sober." 

"  They  do  not  keep  you  from  making  ill-natured 
remarks,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew,  sailing  out  of  the  room 
fully  bedizened  for  the  solemnity  of  dinner. 

"  You  say  you  were  '  shown '  all  this  beauty,"  re 
marked  Ida,  who  was  giving  the  finishing  touches  to 
her  toilet  before  a  large  mirror,  and  by  whom  the 
frequent  bickerings  of  her  parents  were  scarcely  noted. 
"  Who  officiated  as  showman  ?  " 

"A  man  who  understands  the  beauties  of  a  land 
scape  so  well  that  he  could  make  them  visible  even 
to  my  dim  eyes,  and  attractive  to  my  deadened  and 
besotted  nature.  I'd  give  all  the  world  if  I  could  be 
young,  strong,  and  hopeful  like  him,  again.  It  was 
good  of  him — yes,  good  of  him,  to  try  to  cheer  a 
stranger  with  pleasant  thoughts  and  sights.  I  suppose 
you  are  acquainted  with  Mr.  Van  Berg,  since  he  is  a 
friend  of  Ik's  ?  " 


66  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  No,  I'm  not,"  was  the  sharp  reply ;  "  nor  do  I 
wish  to  be." 

"Why  not?"  asked  Mr.  Mayhew  in  some  sur 
prise. 

"  It's  sufficient  that  I  don't  like  him." 

"  He's  not  of  your  style,  I  suppose  you  mean  to 
say?" 

" Indeed  he  is  not." 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  your  style,  Ida." 

She  was  sweeping  petulantly  from  the  room  when 
her  father  added  with  a  depth  of  feeling  very  unlike 
his  wonted  apathy  :  "  O,  Ida,  it  were  better  that  all 
three  of  us  had  never  been  born  than  to  live  as  we 
do  !  Your  life  and  your  mother's  is  froth,  and  mine  is 
mud.  How  I  hated  it  all  this  bright  June  morning, 
as  Mr.  Van  Berg  gave  me  a  glimpse  into  another  and 
better  world  !  " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  Mr.  Van  Berg  pre 
sumed  to  criticise  my  mode  of  life  ?  "  Ida  asked  with 
a  darkening  face. 

"  Oh,  no,  no  !  How  small  and  egotistical  all  your 
ideas  are  !  He  never  mentioned  you,  and  probably 
never  thought  of  you.  He  only  took  a  little  pains 
that  a  tired  and  dispirited  man  might  see  and  feel  the 
eternal  beauty  and  freshness  of  nature,  as  one  might 
give,  in  passing,  a  cup  of  water  to  a  traveller." 

"  I  don't  see  what  reason  you  have  for  feeling  and 
appearing  so  forlornly,  thus  asking  for  sympathy  from 
strangers,  as  it  were,  and  causing  it  to  seem  as  if  we 
were  making  a  martyr  of  you.  As  for  this  artist,  with 
his  superior  airs,  I  detest  him.  He  never  loses  a 
chance  to  annoy  and  mortify  me.  I've  no  doubt  he 


RECKLESS    WORDS  AND  DEEDS.  §j 

hoped  you  would  come  home  and  tell  us,  as  you  have, 
how  much  better  he  was  than " 

"There,  there,  quit  that  kind  of  talk  or  I'll  be 
drunk  in  half  an  hour,"  said  her  father,  harshly.  u  If 
you  had  the  heart  of  a  woman,  let  alone  that  of  a 
daughter,  you  would  thank  the  man  who  had  unwit 
tingly  kept  me  from  making  a  beast  of  myself  for  one 
day  at  least.  Go  on  down  to  your  dinner,  I'm  in  no 
mood  for  eating." 

She  went  without  a  word,  but  with  a  severer  com 
punction  of  conscience  than  she  had  ever  felt  before 
in  her  life.  Her  father's  face  and  words  smote  her 
with  a  keen  reproach,  piercing  the  thick  armor  of  her 
vanity  and  selfishness.  She  saw,  for  the  moment, 
how  unnatural  and  unlovely  she  must  appear  to  him, 
in  spite  of  her  beauty,  and  the  thought  crossed  her 
mind  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg  despises  me  because  he  sees  me  in 
the  same  light.  How  I  hate  his  cold,  critical  eyes  !  " 

Even  at  his  far  remove  Van  Berg  could  see  that  she 
was  ill  at  ease  during  the  dinner  hour.  There  would 
be  times  of  forced  and  unnatural  gayety,  followed  by 
a  sudden  cloud  upon  the  brow  and  an  abstracted  air, 
as  if  her  thoughts  had  naught  to  do  with  the  chatter 
ing  group  around  her.  It  would  also  appear  that  her 
appetite  was  flagging  unusually,  and  once  or  twice  he 
thought  she  darted  an  angry  look  towards  him. 

As  if  something  were  burdening  her  mind,  she  at 
last  left  the  table  hastily,  before  the  others  were  through 
with  their  dessert. 

As  may  be  surmised,  she  sought  her  father's  room. 
Receiving  no  response  to  her  knock,  she  entered  and 


63  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

saw  at  a  glance  the  confirmation  of  her  fears.  Her 
father  sat  in  an  arm-chair  with  his  head  upon  his 
breast.  A  brandy  bottle  stood  on  the  table  beside 
him.  At  the  sound  of  her  step  he  looked  up  for  a 
moment  with  heavy  eyes,  and  mumbled  : 

"  He  ain't  of  your  style,  is  he  ?  Nor  of  mine,  eith 
er.  Froth  and  mud !  " 

Ida  gave  a  sudden  stamp  of  rage  and  disgust,  and 
whirled  from  the  room. 

Van  Berg  happened  to  see  her  as  she  descended 
to  the  main  hall-way,  and  her  face  was  so  repulsive 
as  to  suggest  to  him  the  lines  from  Shakspeare  : 

"  In  nature  there's  no  blemish,  but  the  mind  ; 
None  can  be  called  deformed,  but  the  unkind  ; 
Virtue  is  beauty ;  but  the  beauteous — evil 
Are  empty  trunks,  o'erflourished  by  the  devil." 

That  afternoon  and  evening  her  reckless  levity  and 
open  coquetry  secured  unfavorable  comment  not 
only  from  the  artist,  but  from  others  far  more  indif 
ferent,  whose  attention  she  half  compelled  by  a  man 
ner  that  did  not  suggest  spring  violets. 

Van  Berg  was  disgusted.  He  was  less  versed  in 
human  nature  than  in  art,  and  did  not  recognize  in 
the  forced  and  obtrusive  gayety  the  effort  to  stifle  the 
voice  of  an  aroused  conscience.  Even  to  her  blunted 
sense  of  right  it  seemed  a  hateful  and  disgraceful 
truth  that  a  stranger  had  helped  her  father  towards 
manhood,  and  that  she  had  destroyed  the  transient 
and  salutary  influence.  Her  complacency  had  been 
disturbed  from  the  time  her  cousin  had  repeated  Van 
Berg's  remark,  "  I  could  not  speak  civilly  to  a  lady 


RECKLESS    WORDS  AND  DEEDS.  £9 

that  I  had  just  seen  giggling  and  flirting  through  one 
of  Beethoven's  finest  symphonies  ;"  and  now,  through 
an  unexpected  chain  of  circumstances,  she  had,  for 
the  first  time  in  her  life,  reached  a  point  of  self-disgust 
and  self-loathing.  Such  a  moral  condition  is  evil's 
opportunity  when  a  disposition  towards  penitence  or 
reform  is  either  absent  or  resisted.  The  thought, 
therefore,  of  her  father's  drunkenness  that  day,  and 
of  herself  as  the  immediate  cause,  made  her  so 
wretched  and  reckless  that  she  tried  to  forget  her 
miserable  self  in  excitement,  as  he  had  in  lethargy. 
Even  her  mother  chided  her,  asking  if  she  did  not 
"  remember  the  day." 

"  Indeed,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  remember  it," 
was  her  ambiguous  answer;  "  but  Mondays  in  the 
country  are  always  blue,  and  I'll  do  my  repenting 
then.  If  I  were  a  good  Catholic  I'd  hunt  up  a  priest 
to-morrow." 

"  I'll  be  your  father-confessor  to-day,"  said  a 
black-eyed  young  man,  twirling  his  mustache. 

"You,  Mr.  Sibbly?  You  would  lead  me  into 
more  naughtiness  than  you  would  help  me  out  of, 
twice  over.  For  my  confessor  I  would  choose  an 
ancient  man  who  had  had  his  dinner.  What  a  com- 
'fortable  belief  it  is,  to  be  sure  !  All  one  has  to  do  is 
to  buzz  one's  sins  through  a  grating  (that  is  like  an 
indefinite  number  of  key-holes)  to  a  dozing  old  gen 
tleman  inside,  and  then  away  with  a  heart  like  a  fea 
ther,  to  load  up  again.  I'd  bless  the  man  who  could 
convert  me  into  a  Papist." 

But  she  hated  the  man  who  had  made  her  feel  the 
need  of  absolution,  and  who  seemed  an  inseparable 


7o  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

part  of  all  her  disagreeable  experiences.  Although 
he  appeared  to  avoid  any  locality  in  which  she  re 
mained,  she  observed  his  eyes  turned  towards  her 
more  than  once  before  the  day  closed,  and  it  exas 
perated  her  almost  beyond  all  endurance  to  believe 
that  their  expression  was  only  that  of  contempt. 

She  might  have  been  a  little  better  pleased,  per 
haps,  if  she  had  known  that  she  made  the  artist 
almost  as  uncomfortable  as  herself.  Never  before 
had  there  seemed  to  him  so  great  a  contrast  between 
her  beauty  and  herself,  her  features  and  her  face. 
The  latter  could  not  fail  to  excite  his  increased  dis 
gust,  while  the  former  was  so  great  that  he  found 
himself  becoming  resolutely  bent  on  redeeming  them 
from  what  seemed  a  horrid  profanation.  In  accord 
ance  with  one  of  his  characteristics,  the  more  difficult 
the  project  seemed,  the  more  obstinately  fixed  be 
came  his  purpose  to  discover  whether  she  had  a  mind 
of  sufficient  calibre  to  transform  her  into  what  she 
might  be,  in  contrast  with  what  she  was.  The  more 
he  saw  of  her  the  more  his  interest  as  an  artist,  and, 
indirectly,  as  a  student  of  character,  was  deepened. 
If  she  had  no  mind  worth  naming  he  would  give  the 
problem  up  to  the  solution  of  time,  which,  however, 
promised  nothing  but  a  gradual  fading  away  of  all 
beauty,  and  the  intensifying  of  inward  deformity  un-. 
til  fully  reproduced  in  outward  ugliness. 


ANOTHER  FEMININE  PROBLEM. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ANOTHER  FEMININE  PROBLEM. 

EARLY  on  Monday  morning,  Mr.  Mayhew  hast 
ened  from  the  breakfast-table  to  the  stage. 
His  wife  and  daughter  were  not  down  to  see  him  off, 
and  he  seemed  desirous  of  shunning"  all  recognition. 
With  the  exception  that  his  eyes  were  heavy  and 
bloodshot  from  his  debauch,  his  face  had  the  same 
dreary,  apathetic  expression  which  Van  Berg  had 
noted  on  his  arrival.  And  so  he  went  back  to  his 
city  office,  where,  fortunately  for  him,  mechanical 
routine  brought  golden  rewards,  since  he  was  in  no 
state  for  business  enterprise. 

From  his  appearance,  Van  Berg  could  not  help  sur 
mising  what  had  been  his  condition  the  previous  day. 
Indeed  Stanton,  with  a  contemptuous  shrug,  had  the 
same  as  said  on  Sabbatfr  evening,  that  his  uncle  had 
"  dropped  into  the  old  slough."  Although  neither 
of  the  young  men  knew  how  great  an  impetus  Ida 
had  given  her  father  towards  such  degradation,  they 
both  felt  that  if  his  wife  and  daughter  had  had  the 
tact  to  detect  and  appreciate  his  better  mood,  pro 
duced  by  the  morning  ramble,  they  might  have  sus 
tained  him,  and  given  him  at  least  one  day  that  he 
could  remember  without  shame  and  discouragement. 


72  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Van  Berg  found  something  pathetic  in  Mr.  May- 
hew's  weary  and  disheartened  manner.  It  was  like 
that  of  a  soldier  who  has  suffered  defeat,  but  who  goes 
on  with  his  routine  in  a  mechanical,  spiritless  manner, 
because  there  is  nothing  else  to  do.  He  seemed  to 
have  no  hope,  nor  even  a  thought  of  retrieving  the 
past  and  of  reasserting  his  own  manhood.  Accustomed 
as  the  young  artist  had  ever  been  to  a  household  in 
which  affection,  allied  to  high-bred  courtesy  and  mu 
tual  respect,  made  even  homely  daily  life  noble  and 
beautiful,  he  could  not  look  on  the  discordant  May- 
hew  family  with  the  chanty,  or  the  indifference,  of 
those  who  have  seen  more  of  the  wrong  side  of  life. 
Had  there  been  only  poor,  besmirched  Mr.  Mayhew, 
and  stout,  dressy,  voluble  Mrs.  Mayhew,  he  would 
never  have  glanced  towards  them  the  second  time ; 
but  his  artist's  eyes  had  fallen  on  the  contradictory 
being  that  linked  them  together.  Morally  and  men 
tally  she  seemed  one  with  her  parent  stock  ;  but  her 
beauty,  in  some  of  its  aspects,  was  so  marvellous,  that 
the  desire  to  redeem  it  from  its  hateful  and  grotesque 
associations  grew  stronger  every  hour. 

Instead,  therefore,  of  going  off  upon  solitary  ram 
bles,  as  he  had  done  hitherto,  he  mingled  more  fre 
quently  in  the  amusements  of  the  guests  of  the  house, 
with  the  hope  he  would  thus  be  brought  so  often  in*" 
contact  with  the  subject  of  his  experiment,  that  her 
pique  would  wear  away  sufficiently  to  permit  them  to 
meet  on  something  like  friendly  terms. 

As  far  as  the  other  guests  were  concerned,  he  had 
no  trouble.  They  welcomed  him  to  croquet,  to 
walking  and  boating  excursions,  and  to  their  evening 


ANOTHER  FEMININE   PROBLEM.  73 

games  and  promenades.  Such  of  the  ladies  as  danced 
were  pleased  to  secure  him  as  a  partner.  Indeed, 
from  the  dearth  of  gentlemen  during  the  week,  he  soon 
found  himself  more  in  demand  than  he  cared  to  be, 
and  saw  that  even  the  landlord  was  beginning  to  rely 
upon  him  to  keep  up  a  state  of  pleasurable  efferves 
cence  among  his  patrons.  His  languid  friend,  Stan- 
ton,  was  not  a  little  surprised,  and  at  last  remarked : 

"  Why,  Van,  what  has  come  over  you  ?  I  never 
saw  you  in  the  role  of  a  society  fellow  before  !  " 

But  his  unwonted  courtesies  seemed  wholly  in 
vain.  He  propitiated  and  won  all  save  one,  and  that 
one  was  the  sole  object  of  his  effort.  While  all  others 
smiled,  her  face  remained  cold  and  averted/  Indeed 
she  took  such  pains  to  ignore  and  avoid  him,  that  it 
was  generally  recognized  that  there  was  a  difference 
between  them,  and  of  course  there  was  an  endless 
amount  of  gossiping  surmise.  As  the  hostility  seemed 
wholly  on  the  lady's  side,  Van  Berg  appeared  to  the 
better  advantage,  and  Ida  was  all  the  more  provoked 
as  she  recognized  the  fact. 

She  now  began  to  wish  that  she  had  taken  a  differ 
ent  course.  As  Van  Berg  pursued  his  present  tactics, 
her  feminine  intuition  was  not  so  dull  but  that  she 
was  led  to  believe  he  wished  to  make  her  acquaint 
ance.  Of  course  there  was,  to  her  mind,  but  one  ex 
planation  of  this  fact — he  was  becoming  fascinated, 
like  so  many  others. 

"  If  I  were  only  on  speaking  and  flirting  terms," 
she  thought  (the  two  relations  were  about  synony 
mous  in  her  estimation),  "  I  might  draw  him  on  to  a 
point  which  would  give  me  a  chance  of  punishing 
4 


74  *  PACE  ILLUMINED. 

him  far  more  than  is  now  possible  by  sullenly  keep 
ing  aloof.  As  it  is,  it  looks  to  these  people  here  as 
if  he  had  jilted  me  instead  of  I  him,  and  that  I  am 
sulking  over  it." 

But  she  had  entangled  herself  in  the  snarl  of  her 
own  previous  words  and  manner.  She  ha.d  charged 
her  mother  and  cousin  to  permit  no  overtures  of 
peace ;  and  once  or  twice,  when  mine  host,  in  his 
good-natured,  off-hand  manner,  had  sought  to  intro 
duce  them,  she  had  been  so  blind  and  deaf  to  his 
purpose  as  to  appear  positively  rude.  Her  repug 
nance  to  the  artist  had  become  a  generally  recognized 
fact ;  and  she  had  built  up  such  a  barrier  that  she 
could  not'break  it  down  without  asking  for  more  help 
than  was  agreeable  to  her  pride.  But  she  chafed  in 
wardly  at  her  false  position,  and  at  the  increasing 
popularity  of  the  object  of  her  spite. 

Even  her  mother  at  last  formed  his  acquaintance  ; 
and,  as  the  artist  listened  to  the  garrulous  lady  for 
half  an  hour  with  scarcely  an  interruption,  she  pro 
nounced  him  one  of  the  most  entertaining  of  men. 

As  Mrs.  Mayhew  was  chanting  his  praises  that 
evening,  Ida  broke  out  petulantly  : 

"  Was  there  ever  such  a  gad-fly  as  this  artist !  He 
pesters  me  from  morning  till  night." 

"  Pesters  you  !  I  never  saw  a  lady  so  severely  let 
alone  as  you  are  by  him.  Whatever  is  the  cause  of 
your  spite  it  seems  to  harm  only  yourself,  and  I 
should  judge  from  your  remark  that  it  disturbs  you 
much  more  than  you  would  have  it  appear — certainly 
far  more  than  it  does  him." 

There  wa?  no  soothing  balm  in  these  words,  as  may 


ANOTHER  FEMININE  PROBLEM.  '    75 

well  be  supposed  ;  and  yet  the  impression  grew  upon 
Ida  that  the  artist  would  be  friendly  if  he  could  ; 
and  the  belief  strengthened  with  him  also  that  she 
took  far  too  much  pains  to  manifest  what  she  would 
have  others  think  to  be  mere  indifference  and  dislike, 
and  he  intercepted  besides,  with  increasing  frequency, 
furtive  glances  towards  himself.  So  much  ice  had 
accumulated  between  them,  however  that  neither 
knew  how  it  was  to  be  broken. 

One  day,  about  the  middle  of  the  week,  Van  Berg 
found  a  stranger  seated  opposite  to  him  at  the  din 
ner  table.  His  first  impression  was,  that  the  lady 
was  not  very  young  and  that  her  features  were  quite 
plain  ;  but  before  the  meal  was  over  he  concluded  that 
her  face  was  decidedly  interesting,  and  that  the  sug 
gestion  of  age  had  been  made  by  maturity  of  charac 
ter  and  the  impress  which  some  real  and  deep  expe 
rience  gives  to  the  countenance,  rather  than  by  the 
trace  of  years. 

While  yet  a  stranger,  the  expression  of  her  blue 
eyes,  as  she  glanced  around,  was  so  kindly  that  she 
at  once  won  the  good-will  of  all  who  encountered 
them.  This  genial,  friendly  light  in  her  eyes  seemed 
a  marked  characteristic.  It  was  so  different  from  the 
obtrusive,  forward  manner  with  which  some  seek  to 
make  acquaintances,  that  it  would  not  have  suggested 
a  departure  from  modest  reserve,  even  to  the  most 
cynical.  It  rather  indicated  a  heart  aglow  with  gen 
tle  feeling  and  genial  good-will,  like  a  maple-wood 
fire  on  a  hospitable  hearth,  that  warms  all  who  come 
within  the  sphere  of  its  influence. 

Van  Berg  was  naturally  reserved,  and  slow  to  make 


76  '  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

new  acquaintances.  But  before  he  had  stolen  many 
glances  at  the  face  opposite  him  he  began  to  wish  for 
the  privilege  of  speaking  to  her — a  wish  that  was 
increased  by  the  fact  that  they  were  alone  at  the 
table,  the  other  guests  who  usually  occupied  the 
chairs  not  having  returned  from  their  morning  drive. 
She  did  not  look  at  him  in  particular,  nor  appear  to 
be  in  the  least  struck  by  his  distingu^  air,  as  Ida  had 
been  before  she  was  blinded  by  prejudice  ;  but  she 
looked  out  upon  the  world  at  large  with  such  a 
friendly  aspect  that  he  was  sure  she  had  something 
pleasant  to  say.  He  was  therefore  well  pleased  when 
at  last  the  landlord  bustled  up  in  his  brusque  way  and 
said': 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  permit  me  to  make  you  acquainted 
with  Miss  Burton.  She  has  had  the  faith  to  put 
herself  under  my  charge  for  a  few  weeks,  and  I  shall 
reward  her  by  sharing  the  respon'sibility  with  you, 
who  seem  blessed  with  the  benevolent  desire  of 
giving  us  all  a  good  time,"  and  then  he  bustled  off 
to  look  after  some  other  matter  which  required  his 
attention  during  the  critical  hour  of  dinner. 

Miss  Burton  acknowledged  the  young  man's  bow 
without  a  trace  of  affectation  or  reserve. 

"  I  shall  try  not  to  prove  a  burden  to  either  of 
you,"  she  said,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  have  already  discovered  that  you  will  not  be," 
said  Van  Berg,  "  and  was  wishing  for  an  introduc 
tion." 

"  I  hope  your  wishes  may  always  find  so  ready  a 
fulfilment." 

"That's  a  kindly  wish,  Miss  Burton,  but  a  vain  one. " 


ANOTHER  FEMININE  PROBLEM.  77 

"  Were  we  misanthropical  people,  Mr.  Van  Berg, 
we  might  sigh,  '  and  such  are  human  wishes  gener 
ally.'  " 

"  One  is  often  tempted  to  do  that  anyway,  even 
when  not  especially  prone  to  look  askance  at  fortune." 

"  There  is  an  easy  way  of  escaping  that  tempta 
tion." 

"How?" 

"  Do  not  form  many  wishes." 

"  Have  you  very  few  wishes  ?  " 

With  a  slight  and  piquant  motion  of  her  head  she 
replied,  "  I  was  only  giving  a  bit  of  trite  advice. 
It's  asking  a  great  deal  to  require  that  one  should 
both  preach  and  practise." 

"  I  think  you  are  possessed  by  one  wish  which 
swallows  up  most  others,"  said  Van  Berg,  a  little 
abruptly. 

A  visible  pallor  overspread  her  face,  and  she  drew 
back  perceptibly  as  one  might  shrink  from  a  blow. 

"  You  know  how  strong  first  impressions  are,"  re 
sumed  Van  Berg  hastily,  "  and  the  thought  has  passed 
through  my  mind  that  you  might  be  so  preoccupied 
in  wishing  good  things  for  others  as  to  quite  forget 
yourself." 

"  If  one  could  be  completely  occupied  in  that  way," 
she  said,  with  a  faint  smile  which  suggested  rather 
than  revealed  a  vista  in  her  past  experience,  "  one 
might  have  little  occasion  to  wish  for  anything  for 
self.  But,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  only  we  poor  unreasoning 
women  put  much  faith  in  first  impressions  ;  and  you 
know  how  often  they  mislead  even  us,  who  are  sup 
posed  to  have  safe  instincts." 


78  ^  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Do  they  often  mislead  you  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  she  replied,  with  a  merry  twinkle 
in  her  eye,  "  I  think  you  must  have  learned  the 
questions  in  the  catechism,  if  not  the  answers." 

Van  Berg  bit  his  lip.  Here  was  a  suggestion  of  a 
thorn  in  the  sweetbrier  he  believed  he  had  discovered. 

"  Now  see  how  far  I  am  astray,"  she  resumed 
with  a  frankness  which  had  in  it  no  trace  of  familiarity. 
"  It  is  my  impression  you  are  a  lawyer." 

At  this  Van  Berg  laughed  outright  and  said :  "  You 
are  indeed  mistaken.  I  have  no  connection  with  the 
influential  class  whose  business  is  to  make  and  evade 
the  laws.  I  am  only  one  among  the  humble  masses 
who  aim  to  obey  them.  But  perhaps  you  think  your 
intuition  goes  deeper  than  surface  facts  and  that  I 
ought  to  have  been  a  cross-questioner." 

"  I  am  quite  sure  my  intuition  is  correct  in  think 
ing  that  you  would  not  be  very  cross  about  it." 

"  Perhaps  not,  if  disarmed  by  so  smiling  a  face  as 
3rours." 

The  others,  who  had  been  delayed  by  a  longer  ride 
than  usual,  now  entered  and  took  the  vacant  chairs 
around  the  table.  Van  Berg  felt  sufficiently  ac 
quainted  with  them  to  introduce  Miss  Burton,  for  he 
was  curious  to  observe  whether  she  would  make  the 
same  impression  on  them  as  he  had  been  conscious 
of  himself. 

They  bowed  with  the  quiet,  well-bred  manner  of 
society  people,  but  were  at  first  inclined  to  pay  little 
heed  to  the  plainly  dressed  and  rather  plain  appear 
ing  young  stranger.  As  one  and  another,  however, 
glanced  towards  her,  something  about  her  seemed  to 


AN  OTHER  FEMININE   PROBLEM.  jg 

linger  in  their  memories  and  cause  them  to  look 
again.  The  lady  next  to  her  offered  a  commonplace 
remark,  chiefly  out  of  politeness,  and  received  so 
pleasant  a  reply  in  return  that  she  turned  her  thoughts 
as  well  as  her  eyes  to  see  who  it  really  was  that  had 
made  it.  Then  another  spoke,  and  the  response  led 
her  to  speak  again  and  again;  and  soon  the  entire 
party  were  describing  their  drive  and  living  over 
its  pleasantest  features  ;  and  before  the  meal  ended 
they  were  all  gathered,  metaphorically,  around  the 
mystical,  maple- wood  fire  that  burned  on  the  hearth 
of  a  nature  that  seemed  so  hospitable  and  kindly 
as  to  have  no  other  mission  than  to  cheer  and  en 
tertain. 

"  Who  is  that  little  brown  thrush  of  a  woman  that 
you  were  so  taken  with  at  dinner?"  asked  Stanton, 
as  they  were  enjoying  a  quiet  smoke  in  their  favorite 
corner  of  the  piazza. 

"  Good- for  you,  Stanton.  I  never  knew  you  to  be 
so  appreciative  before.  Your  term  quite  accurately 
describes  her.  She  is  both  shy  and  reserved,  but  not 
diffident  or  awkward  in  the  least.  Indeed  her  manner 
might  strike  some  as  being  peculiarly  frank.  But 
there  is  something  back  of  it  all ;  for  young  as  she 
undoubtedly  is,  her  face  suggests  to  me  some  deep 
and  unusual  experience." 

"  Jupiter  Ammon  !  What  an  abyss  of  mystery, 
surmise,  and  metaphysics  you  fell  into  while  I  was 
eating  my  dinner  !  I  used  the  phrase  '  brown  thrush/ 
only  in  reference  to  her  dress  and  general  homeli 
ness." 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon  !     I  take  all  back  about 


80  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

your  nice  appreciation  of  character.  I  now  grasp  the 
whole  truth — your  attention  wandered  sufficiently  from 
your  dinner  to  observe  that  she  wore  a  brown  dress, 
and  the  one  fact  about  the  thrush  that  has  impressed 
you  is  that  it  is  brown.  '  Here  be  truths  '  which  leave 
nothing  more  to  be  said." 

"You  imaginative  fellows  are  often  ridiculously 
astray  on  the  other  tack,  and  see  a  thousand-fold 
more  than  exists.  But  it's  a  pity  you  could  not  read 
all  there  was  in  this  young  woman's  face,  for  it  was 
certainly //#/';*  enough.  At  this  rate  you  will  be  ask 
ing  our  burly  landlord  to  unbosom  himself,  insisting 
that  he  has  a  '  silent  sorrow  '  tucked  away  somewhere 
under  his  ample  waistcoat." 

"  His  troubles,  like  yours,  are  banished  by  the 
dinner  hour.  I  recognize  your  feeble  witticism 
about  her  plain  face,  and  forgive  you  because  / 
thought  it  plain  also  at  first,  but  when  she  came  to 
speak  and  smile  it  ceased  to  be  plain.  I  do  not  say 
she  has  had  trouble,  but  she  has  had  some  experience 
in  her  past  history  which  neither  you  nor  I  could  un 
derstand." 

"  Quite  likely  ;  the  measles,  for  instance,  which  I 
never  had  to  my  knowledge.  Possibly  she  has  had  a 
lover  who  was  not  long  in  finding  a  prettier  face,  and 
so  left  her,  but  not  so  disconsolate  that  she  could 
not  smile  bewilderingly  upon  you." 

"  Come  now,  Stanton,  I'll  forewarn  and  forearm 
you.  I  confidently  predict  that  the  voice  of  this 
brown  thrush  will  lure  you  out  of  a  life  which,  to  put 
it  mildly,  is  a  trifle  matter-of-fact  and  material.  You 
have  glanced  at  her,  but  you  have  not  seen  her  yet. 


ANOTHER  FEMININE  PROBLEM.  ^ 

Mark  my  words  ;  your  appetite  will  flag  before  many 
weeks  pass." 

"  I  wish  I  could  pin  you  down  to  a  large  wager  on 
this  absurdity." 

"  I  agree  to  paint  you  a  picture  if  my  prediction 
fails." 

"  And  to  finish  it  within  a  natural  lifetime  ?  "  said 
Stanton,  with  much  animation. 

"  To  finish  as  promptly  as  good  work  can  be 
done." 

"  Pardon  me,  Van.  You  had  too  much  wine  for 
dinner  ;  I  don't  want  to  take  advantage  of  you." 

"  I  did  not  have  any." 

"  In  order  to  carry  out  this  transaction  honestly, 
am  I  expected  to  make  conscious  and  patient  effort 
to  come  under  the  influence  of  this  maiden  in  brown, 
who  has  had  some  mysterious  complaint  in  the  past, 
about  which  '  neither  you,  nor  I,  nor  nobody  knows,' 
as  the  poet  saith  ;  or,  like  the  ancient  mariner,  will 
she  *  hold  me  with  her  glittering  eye  ?  '  " 

"  You  have  only  to  jog  on  in  your  old  ways  until 
she  wakes  you  up  and  makes  a  man  of  you." 

"  I  surely  am  dreaming  ;  for  never  did  the  level 
headed  Van  Berg  talk  such  arrant  nonsense  before. 
If  she  seems  to  you  such  a -marvel,  why  don't  you 
open  your  own  mouth  and  let  the  ripe  cherry  drop 
into  it." 

"  One  reason  will  answer,  were  there  no  others — 
she  wouldn't  drop.  If  you  ever  win  her,  my  boy, 
you  will  have  to  bestir  yourself." 

"  I'd  rather  win  the  picture.     Let  me  see — I  know 
the  very  place  in  my  room  where  I  shall  hang  it." 
4* 


82  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  You  are  a  little  premature.  That  chicken  is  not 
yet  hatched,  and  you  may  feel  like  hanging  yourself 
in  the  place  of  the  picture  before  the  summer  is 
over." 

"  Let  me  wrap  your  head  in  ice-water,  Van. 
There's  mine  host — O,  Mr.  Burleigh !  "  he  cried  to 
the  landlord,  who  at  that  moment  happened  to  cross 
the  piazza. ;  "  please  step  here.  My  friend  Mr.  Van 
Berg  has  been  strangely  fascinated  by  the  stranger 
in  brown  whom  you,  with  some  deep  and  malicious 
design,  placed  opposite  to  him  at  the  table.  What 
are  her  antecedents,  and  who  are  her  uncles  ?  I  take 
a  friendly  interest  in  this  young  man.  Indeed,  I'm 
sort  of  a  guardian  angel  to  him,  having  saved  his  life 
many  a  time." 

"  Saved  his  life  !  "  ejaculated  the  landlord.  "  How?" 

"  By  quenching  his  consuming  genius  with  good 
dinners.  But  come — solve  for  me  this  riddle  in 
brown.  My  friend  usually  gives  but  little  heed  to 
the  feminine  conundrums  that  smilingly  ask  to  be 
answered,  but  for  some  occult  reason  he  is  in  a  state 
of  sleepless  interest  over  this  one,  and  I  know  that 
his  waistcoat  is  swelling  with  gratitude  to  me  for 
having  the  courage  to  ask  these  questions." 

tf  He  is  speaking  several  words  for  himself  to  one 
for  me,"  said  Van  Berg  ;  "  and  yet  I  admit  that  her 
face  and  manner  struck  me  very  pleasantly." 

"Well,  she  has  a  pleasant  little  phiz,  now,  hasn't 
she,  Mr.  Van  Berg  ?  I  don't  wonder  Mr.  Stanton 
was  taken  by  her,  for  I  was  myself.  It's  but  little  I 
can  tell  you,  save  that  she  is  a  teacher  in  one  of  the 
New  England  female  colleges,  and  that  she  brings 


ANOTHER  FEMININE  PROBLEM.  83 

letters  to  me  from  the  most  respectable  parties,  who 
introduce  her  as  a  lady  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word. 
Further  than  that  nothing  was  written,  nor  do  I 
know  anything  concerning  her.  But  any  one  who 
can't  see  that  she's  a  perfect  lady  is  no  judge  of  the 
article." 

"  I  will  stake  any  amount  on  that,  basing  my  be 
lief  only  on  the  first  impression  of  one  interview," 
added  Van  Berg,  decidedly. 

"You  now  see  how  deeply  my  friend  is  im 
pressed,"  said  Stanton,  with  a  satirical  smile. 
"Thanks,  Mr.  Burleigh  ;  we  will  not  detain  you  any 
longer." 

When  alone  again,  he  resumed,  with  an  expression 
of  disgust: 

"  A  '  New  England  female  college  ! '  How  aptly 
he  words  it.  If  there's  any  region  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  that  I  detest,  it's  New  England  ;  and  if  there 
is  one  type  of  women  that  I'd  shun  as  I  would  '  ever 
angry  bears,'  it's  a  New  England  school-ma'am." 

"  '  But  if  thy  flight  lay  toward  the  raging  sea'  of  a 
restless,  all-absorbing  passion,  '  Thou'dst  meet  the 
bear  i'  the  mouth,'  as  you  will  try  to  in  this  case. 
You  will  be  ready  to  barter  your  ears  for  a  kiss  be 
fore  very  long." 

"  It  will  be  after  they  have  grown  prodigiously 
long  and  hairy  in  some  transformation  scene  like 
that  in  which  the  immortal  Bottom  was  the  victim." 

"  Your  illustration  tells  against  you,  for  it  was  only 
after  his  appropriate  transformation  that  Bottom  saw 
the  fairy  queen  ;  but  in  your  case  the  desire  to 
'  munch '  will  be  banished." 


84  ^  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Come,  Van,  we  have  had  enough  chaff  on  this 
topic,  already  worn  threadbare.  I  now  know  all 
about  the  mysterious  complaint,  the  impress  of  which 
on  the  face  of  the  school-ma'am  has  so  dazed  you. 
It's  a  New  England  female  college  —  a  place  where 
they  give  a  razor-like  edge  to  the  wits  of  Yankee 
women,  already  too  sharp,  and  develop  in  attenuated 
maidens  the  hatchet  faces  of  their  sires.  You  may 
as  well  set  about  that  picture  at  once,  whenever  you 
feel  in  the  mood  for  work." 

"  I  admit  that  I  have  been  speaking  nonsense,  and 
yet  you  may  find  many  grains  of  truth  in  my  chaff, 
nevertheless." 

"  But  is  my  picture  to  end  in  chaff?  " 

"  I  will  stand  by  my  promise.  If  I  lose,  perhaps 
I'll  paint  you  the  school-ma'am's  portrait." 

"Then  we  would  both  lose,  for  I  would  have  no 
earthly  use  for  that." 

"  Well,  I  will  paint  what  you  wish,  within  reason." 

"  I'm  content,  and  with  good  reason,  for  never  did 
I  have  such  absurd  good  luck  before." 

"  Ha  !  look  yonder — quick  !  " 

Both  the  young  men  started  to  their  feet,  but  be- 
for.e  they  could  spring  forward,  the  event,  which  had 
so  suddenly  aroused  them,  was  an  accomplished  fact. 

Both  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief  as  they  looked  at 
each  other,  and  Van  Berg  remarked,  with  some  em 
phasis  : 

"  Act  first,  scene  first,  and  it  does  not  open  like  a 
comedy  either." 


GLIMPSES   OF  TRAGEDY. 


CHAPTER  VIIL    v 

GLIMPSES   OF  TRAGEDY. 

STANTON  threw  away  his  half-burned  cigar — an 
act  which  proved  him  strongly  moved  —  and 
strode  rapidly  towards  the  main  entrance  near  which 
a  little  group  had  already  gathered,  and  among  the 
others,  Ida  Mayhew.  Not  a  hair  of  anybody's  head 
was  hurt,  but  an  event  had  almost  occurred  which 
would  have  more  than  satisfied  Stanton's  spite  against 
'  Yankee  school-ma'ams/  and  would  also  have  made 
him  very  miserable  for  months  to  come. 

He  had  ordered  his  bays  to  the  farther  end  of  the 
piazza  where  they  were  smoking,  as  he  proposed  to 
take  Van  Berg  out  for  a  drive.  His  coachman  liked 
to  wheel  around  the  corner  of  the  hotel  and  past  the 
main  entrance  in  a  dashing  showy  style,  and  thus  far 
had  suffered  no  rebuke  from  his  master  for  the  habit. 
But  on  this  occasion  a  careless  nursery  maid,  neglect 
ful  of  her  charge,  had  left  a  little  child  to  toddle  to 
the  centre  of  the  carriage  drive  and  there  it  had  stood, 
balancing  itself  with  the  uncertain  footing  character 
istic  of  first  steps.  Even  if  it  could  have  seen  the 
rapidly  approaching  carriage  that  was  hidden  by  the 
angle  of  the  building,  its  baby  feet  could  not  have 
carried  it  out  of  harm's  way  in  time,  and  it  is  more 


86  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

than  probable  that  its  inexperience  would  have  pre 
vented  any  sense  of  danger. 

But  help  was  at  hand  in  the  person  of  one  who 
never  seemed  so  preoccupied  with  self  as  to  lose  an 
opportunity  to  serve  others. 

Two  of  the  ladies,  who  had  casually  formed  Miss 
Burton's  acquaintance  at  dinner,  still  lingered  in  the 
door-way  to  talk  with  her,  wondering  in  the  mean 
time  why  they  remained  so  long,  and  meaning  to 
break  away  every  moment,  but  the  expression  of  the 
young  lady's  eyes  was  so  pleasant,  and  her  manner, 
more  than  anything  she  said,  so  like  spring  sunshine 
that  they  were  still  standing  in  the  door-way  when 
the  rumble  and  rush  of  the  carriage  was  heard.  The 
others  did  not  notice  these  sounds,  but  Miss  Burton, 
whose  eyes  had  been  following  the  child  with  an 
amused  interest,  suddenly  broke  off  in  the  midst  of 
a  sentence,  listened  a  second,  then  swiftly  springing 
down  the  steps,  darted  towards  the  child. 

Quick  as  she  had  been  it.seemed  as  if  she  would 
be  too  late,  for,  with  cries  of  horror,  the  startled 
ladies  on  the  piazza  saw  the  horses  coming  so  rapidly 
that  it  appeared  that  both  the  maiden  and  the  child 
must  be  trampled  under  their  feet.  And  so  they 
would  have  been,  had  Miss  Burton  sought  to  snatch 
up  the  child  and  return,  but  with  rare  presence  of 
mind  she  carried  the  child  across  the  carriage  track 
to  its  farther  side,  thus  making  the  most  of  the  impe 
tus  with  which  she  had  rushed  to  the  rescue. 

The  exclamations  of  the  ladies  drew  many  eyes  to 
the  scene,  and  all  held  their  breath  as  the  horses 
dashed  past,  the  driver  vainly  endeavoring  to  pull 


GLIMPSES   OF   TRAGEDY.  g/ 

them  up  in  time.  Having  passed,  even  Stanton  was 
compelled  to  admit  that  the  "school-ma'am"  ap 
peared  to  very  great  advantage  as  she  stood  panting, 
and  with  heightened  color,  holding  in  her  arms  the 
laughing  child  that  seemed  to  think  that  the  whole 
excitement  was  created  for  its  amusement.  She  was 
about  to  quietly  restore  the  child  to  its  nurse,  who 
now  came  bustling  up  with  many  protestations,  when 
she  was  arrested  by  a  loud  voice  exclaiming  : 

"  Don't  let  that  hateful  creature  touch  my  child 
again — give  him  to  me,"  and  a  lady,  who  had  been 
drawn  to  the  scene  by  the  outcry,  ran  down  the  steps, 
and  snatching  the  child,  almost  devoured  him  with 
kisses.  Then,  turning  to  the  trembling  nurse,  she 
said,  harshly  : 

"  Begone  ;  I  never  wish  to  see  your  face  again. 
Had  it  not  been  for  this  lady,  my  child  would  have 
been  killed  through  your  carelessness.  Excuse  me, 
Miss— Miss— " 

'"  Miss  Burton,"  said  the  young  lady,  quietly. 

"  Excuse  my  show  of  feeling ;  but  you  can't  real 
ize  the  service  you  have  done  us.  Bertie  is  our  only 
child,  and  we  just  idolize  him.  I'm  so  agitated,  I 
must  go  to  my  room." 

When  the  lady  had  disappeared,  Miss  Burton 
turned  to  the  sobbing  nurse  and  said  : 

"  Will  you  promise  me  to  be  careful  in  the  future 
if  I  intercede  for  you  ?  " 

"Dade,  Miss,  an'  I  will." 

"  Come  to  me,  then,  after  supper.  In  the  mean 
time  remain  where  your  mistress  can  summon  you 
should  she  need  your  services,  or  be  inclined  to  for- 


88  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

give  you  of  her  own  accord,"  and  leaving  the  crude 
and  offending  jumble  of  humanity  much  comforted, 
she  returned  to  the  piazza,  again. 

Of  course  many  pressed  around  her  with  congratu 
lations  and  words  of  commendation.  Van  Berg  was 
much  interested  in  observing  how  she  would  receive 
this  sudden  gush  of  mingled  honest  praise  and  extrav 
agant  flattery,  for  he  recognized  that  the  occasion 
would  prove  a  searching  and  delicate  test  of  character 
for  which  there  was  no  time  to  prepare.  She  did  not 
listen  to  their  words  with  a  deprecatory  smirk,  nor 
with  the  pained  expression  of  those  sensitive  souls  to 
whom  hearty  words  and  demonstrations  are  like 
rough  winds  ;  nor  was  there  a  trace  of  exultation  and 
self-complacency  in  her  bearing.  Van  Berg  thought 
that  her  manner  was  peculiarly  her  own,  for  she 
looked  into  the  faces  around  her  with  frank  gladness, 
and  her  unconsciousness  of  herself  can  be,  perhaps, 
best  suggested  by  her  own  words. 

"  How  fortunate  it  was,"  she  said,  "  that  I  stood 
where  I  did,  and  happened  to  be  looking  at  the  child. 
If  somebody  had  not  been  at  hand  it  might  have  gone 
hard  with  the  little  fellow.  -  Not  that  I  think  he  would 
have  been  killed,  but  he  might  have  been  maimed  or 
disfigured  in  a  way  that  would  have  caused  him  pain 
and  mortification  all  his  life." 

"  Miss  Burton,  I  take  off  my  hat  to  you,"  said  Van 
Berg,  laughing.  "  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  hope  you 
all  appreciate  the  force  of  Miss  Burton's  phrase, 
'  somebody,'  since  it  implies  that  any  one  of  us  would 
have  shown  like  courage  and  presence  of  mind  if  we 
had  only  been  '  at  hand/  or  had  stood  where  she  did. 


GLIMPSES   OF   TRAGEDY.  89 

Really  Miss  Burton,  you  are  like  smiling  fortune, 
and  '  thrust  upon  '  us  '  greatness  '  and  heroism." 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  you  are  laughing  at  me,  and  your 
quotation  suggests  that  other  Shakspearian  words  are 
in  your  mind — to  wit,  *  much  ado  about  nothing.' 
Now  if  you  had  had  the  opportunity  you  would  have 
achieved  the  rescue  in  a  way  that  would  have  been 
heroic  and  striking.  Instead  of  scrambling  out  of  the 
way  with  the  child,  like  a  timid  woman,  you  would 
have  rushed  upon  the  horses,  seized  them  by  their 
heads,  thrown  them  back  upon  their  haunches,  and 
while  posing  in  that  masterful  attitude,  you  would 
have  called  out  in  stentorian  tones — '  Remove  the 
child.'  " 

All  laughed  at  this  unexpected  sally,  and  no  one 
enjoyed  it  more  than  Stanton,  who,  a  little  before, 
had  been  excessively  angry  at  his  coachman,  and,  like 
the  mother  of  the  child,  had  summarily  dismissed  the 
poor  fellow  from  his  service.  Quite  forgetful  of  his 
uncomplimentary  words  concerning  '  Yankee  school- 
ma'ams  '  in  general,  and  this  one  in  particular,  he 
now  stood  near,  and  was  regarding  her  not  only  with 
approval  but  with  admiration.  Her  ready  reply  to 
Van  Berg  pleased  him  exceedingly,  especially  as  the 
rising  color  in  the  face  of  his  self-possessed  friend 
indicated  a  palpable  hit.  But  the  artist  was  equal  to 
the  occasion,  and  quickly  replied  as  one  who  had  felt 
a  slight  spur. 

"  I  fear  you  are  in  part  correct,  Miss  Burton.  In 
stead  of  deftly  saving  the  child  and  taking  both  it 
and  myself  out  of  harm's  way,  after  your  quiet 
womanly  fashion,  I  should,  no  doubt,  have  '  rushed 


90  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

upon  the  horses  and  seized  them  by  their  heads.' 
But  I  fear  your  striking  tableau,  in  which  I  appeared 
to  such  advantage,  would  have  been  wholly  wanting. 
I  could  not  have  stopped  the  horses  in  time  ;  the  child 
would  have  been  run  over  and  killed  ;  the  big,  fat  cor 
oner  would  have  come  and  sat  on  it  and  have  made 
us  all,  who  witnessed  the  scene,  swear  over  the  mat 
ter  ;  the  poor  mother  would  have  gone  to  the  lunatic 
asylum  ;  the  father  would  have  committed  suicide ; 
the  nursery  maid  would  have — obtained  another  place 
and  been  the  death  of  an  indefinite  number  of  other 
innocent  babes ;  and  last,  but  not  least,  I  should  have 
been  dragged  and  trampled  upon,  my  legs  and  arms 
broken,  and  perhaps  my  head,  and  so  you  would  all 
have  had  to  take  care  of  me — and  you  know  a  cross 
bear  is  a  pleasanter  subject  than  a  sick  man." 

"  Oh,  what  a  chapter  of  horrors!"  exclaimed 
several  ladies  in  chorus. 

"  Nevertheless,  we  would  have  been  equal  to  the 
occasion,  even  if  you  had  been  so  dreadfully  frac 
tured,"  said  Miss  Burton.  "  We  all  would  have  be 
come  your  devoted  nurses,  and  each  one  of  us  would 
have  had  a  separate  and  infallible  remedy,  which,  out 
of  courtesy,  you  would  have  been  compelled  to  use." 

"  Oh,  bless  my  soul !  "  exclaimed  Van  Berg  ;  "  I 
have  had  a  greater  escape  than  the  child.  In  being 
'  at  hand '  as  you  express  it,  Miss  Burton,  I  am  be 
ginning  to  feel  that  you  have  saved  me  from  death 
by  torture." 

"  What  a  compliment  to  us!"  said  Miss  Burton, 
appealing  to  the  ladies  ;  "  he  regards  our  ministrations 
as  equivalent  to  death  by  torture." 


GLIMPSES   OF' TRAGEDY.  9! 

"  Oh,  pardon  me,  I  referred  to  the  numberless 
'  separate  and  infallible  remedies/ the  very  thought 
of  which  curdles  my  blood." 

"  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  my  friend's  prospects 
would  have  been  very  dismal,"  put  in  Stanton  ;  "  for 
with  broken  legs  and  arms  and  head  he  would  have 
been  very  badly  fractured  indeed  to  begin  with,  and 
then  some  one  of  his  fair  nurses  might  have  broken 
his  heart." 

"  My  friena  probably  thinks,  from  a  direful  expe 
rience,"  said  Van  Berg,  "that  this  would  be  worse 
than  all  the  other  fractures  together ;  and  perhaps  it 
would.  An  additional  cause  for  gratitude,  Miss 
Burton,  that  you,  and  not  I,  were  '  at  hand.'  ' 

"  My  reasons  for  gratitude  to  Miss  Burton,"  said 
Stanton,  "  do  not  rest  on  what  undoubtedly  would 
have  happened  had  my  friend  attempted  the  rescue, 
but  on  what  has  happened  ;  and  if  Mr.  Van  Berg 
will  introduce  me  I  will  cordially  express  my 
thanks." 

"  With  all  my  heart.  Miss  Burton,  permit  me  to 
present  to  you  Mr.  Stanton,  whose  only  fault  is  a 
slight  monomania  for  New  England  and  her  institu 
tions." 

The  lady  recognized  Stanton  with  her  wonted  smil 
ing  and  pleasant  manner,  which  seemed  so  frank  and 
open,  but  behind  which  some  present  eventually 
learned  the  real  woman  was  hiding,  and  said  : 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  Mr.  Van  Berg's  Eng 
lish,  like  Hebrew,  reads  backwards.  I  warn  you, 
Mr.  Stanton,  not  to  express  any  indebtedness  to  me, 
or  I  shall  straightway  exhibit  one  of  the  Yankee 


£2  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

traits  which  you  undoubtedly  detest,  and  attempt  a 
bargain." 

"  Although  assured  that  I  shall  get  the  worst  of 
this  bargain,  I  shall  nevertheless  heartily  thank  you 
that  you  were  not  only  '  at  hand,'  but  that  you  acted 
so  promptly  and  courageously  that  the  child  was 
saved.  What  pleasure  could  I  have  taken  with  my 
horses  if  their  feet  had  trampled  that  little  boy  ?  " 

"  I  see  my  opportunity,"  replied  Miss  Burton,  with 
a  decisive  little  nod.  "  Your  afternoon  drives  might 
have  been  marred  by  unpleasant  thoughts  as  one's 
sleep  is  sometimes  disturbed  by  bad  dreams.  You 
have  no  idea  what  a  delight  it  is  to  the  average  New 
England  mind,  Mr.  Stanton,  to  secure  the  vantage 
ground  in  a  bargain.  In  view  of  your  own  voluntary 
admissions,  you  can  scarcely  do  otherwise  than  let  me 
have  my  own  way." 

With  the  exception  of  the  two  or  three  who  had 
formed  Miss  Burton's  acquaintance  at  dinner,  those 
who  at  first  had  gathered  around  her  had  by  this  time 
dwindled  away.  Ida  Mayhew  sat  near  in  an  open 
window  of  the  parlor,  ostensibly  reading  a  novel, 
but  in  reality  observant  of  all  that  occurred.  Both 
she  and  Van  Berg  had  been  amused  by  the  fact  that 
Stanton,  usually  so  languid  and  nonchalant,  had  been 
for  once  thoroughly  aroused.  Between  anger  at  his 
coachman,  alarm  for  the  child,  and  interest  in  its  pre 
server,  he  was  quite  shaken  out  of  his  wonted  equa 
nimity,  which  was  composed  equally  of  indolent 
good-nature,  self-complacency,  and  a  disposition  to 
satirize  the  busy,  earnest  world  around  him.  It  was 
apparent  that  he  was  somewhat  nonplussed  by  Miss 


GLIMPSES   OF   TRAGEDY. 


93 


Burton's  manner  and  words,  and  those  who  knew  him 
well  enjoyed  his  perplexity,  although  at  a  loss  them 
selves  to  imagine  what  object  Miss  Burton  could 
have  in  view.  Half  unconsciously  Van  Berg  turned  his 
smiling,  interested  face  towards  Ida  Mayhew,  who  was 
regarding  her  cousin  with  a  similar  expression,  but 
the  moment  she  caught  the  artist's  eyes  she  coldly 
dropped  her  own  to  her  book  again. 

"  Well,  Miss  Burton,"  said  Stanton,  with  a 
slightly  embarrassed  laugh,  "  I  admit  that  I  am  cor 
nered,  so  you  can  make  your  own  terms." 

"  They  shall  be  grievous,  I  assure  you.  Do  you 
see  that  rueful  face  in  your  carriage  yonder  ?  " 

"That  of  my  coachman?  Bad  luck  to  his  ill- 
omened  visage !  Yes." 

"  No  need  of  wishing  bad  luck  to  any  poor  crea 
ture — it  will  come  only  too  soon  without.  In  view 
of  the  indebtedness  —  which  you  have  so  gracefully 
acknowledged  —  to  one  of  that  trading  and  thrifty 
race  that  never  loses  an  opportunity  to  turn,  if  not  a 
penny  more  or  less  honest,  why,  something  else,  to 
their  advantage,  I  stipulate  that  you  give  your  de 
pendent  there  another  chance.  I  heard  you  dismiss 
him  from  your  service  a  short  time  since,  and  he  evi 
dently  does  not  wish  to  go.  His  disconsolate  face 
troubles  me  ;  so  please  banish  his  dismal  looks,  and 
he'll  be  more  careful  hereafter." 

"  And  have  you  had  time  to  see  and  think  about 
him  ?  "  said  Stanton,  with  a  little  surprise  in  his  tone. 
"You  shall  banish  his  dismal  looks  yourself.  Bar 
ney,"  he  called,  "  drive  close  to  the  piazza  here. 
This  lady  has  probably  saved  you  from  arrest,  and 


94  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

she  now  intercedes  in  your  behalf.  In  compliance 
with  her  request,  I  will  keep  you  in  my  service,  but 
I  wish  you  to  thank  her  and  not  me." 

Barney  took  oft"  his  hat  and  ejaculated:  "  May 
yees  shadder  niver  grow  less,  me  leddy,  an'  may  the 
Powers  grant  that  yees  bright  eyes  may  see  no  trou 
ble  o'  their  own,  bain  they're  so  quick  to  see  a  poor 
man's  bad  luck." 

The  smiling  manner  with  which  she  acknowledged 
his  good  wishes  seemed  to  warm  the  man  all  over, 
and  he  looked  as  if  transformed  as  he  drove  back  to 
his  stand. 

"  How  is  this,  Miss  Burton?"  said  Stanton.  "  I 
feel  as  if  I  had  had  the  best  of  this  bargain." 

"That  impression  is  wholly  due  to  my  Yankee 
shrewdness  ;  and  now,  having  gained  my  point,"  she 
added,  with  a  graceful  inclination,  "  I  will  not  keep 
you  from  your  drive  any  longer." 

"  My  conscience  will  not  permit  me  to  complete 
this  transaction  until  I  have  assured  you  that  my 
horses  and  carriage  are  at  your  service  at  any  time." 

"  Be  careful ;  I  may  take  advantage  of  you  again." 

"Please  do  so,"  replied  Stanton,  lifting  his  hat; 
and  then  he  went  to  his  carriage  more  surprised  at 
himself  than  at  anything  else  that  had  occurred. 
Miss  Burton  returned  to  the  doorway  and  quietly  re 
sumed  the  conversation  that  had  been  interrupted  by 
the  peril  of  the  child. 

Van  Berg  was  about  to  follow  his  friend,  but  an 
acquaintance  coming  up  the  steps,  detained  him  a  few 
moments. 

"  Oh,  Harold,  come  !  "  cried  Stanton,  impatiently. 


GLIMPSES   OF   TRAGEDY.  ge 

Miss  Burton  started  violently.     The  sentence  upon 

her   lips  was   never  finished,  and   her  face   became 

ashen  in   its  color.     She  looked  at  Van  Berg  with  a 

strange  expression  as  he,  unconscious  of  her  agita- 

^tion,  answered: 

"  Yes,  I'm  coming,"  and  moved  away. 

"  My  dear  Miss  Burton,"  said  the  lady  with  whom 
she  was  speaking,  "you  are  ill;  you  look  ready  to 
faint.  This  excitement  has  been  a  greater  strain 
upon  you  than  you  have  realized." 

"  Perhaps  I  had  better  go  to  my  room,"  faltered 
the  young  lady ;  and  she  fled  with  a  precipitancy 
that  her  companion  could  not  understand. 

Ida  Mayhew  also  witnessed  this  unexpected  bit  of 
mystery,  and  it  puzzled  her  not  a  little.  She  had 
left  the  parlor  and  was  standing  in  the  hall-way  when 
her  cousin's  voice  summoned  his  friend  after  his 
familiar  fashion.  Why  should  this  stranger  look  at 
Mr.  Van  Berg  as  if  the  sound  of  his  Christian  name 
were  a  mortal  wound  ?  Or  was  that  a  mere  coin 
cidence — and  in  reaction  from  excitement  and  un 
wonted  effort  had  she  been  suddenly  taken  ill  ?  For 
a  wonder,  she  thought  more  about  Miss  Burton  than 
herself  that  afternoon.  She  had  decided  from  the 
first  that  she  did  not  like  this  new-comer.  That 
point  had  been  settled  by  the  fact  that  the  artist's 
first  impressions  concerning  her  had  evidently  been 
favorable,  and  she  remembered  that  his  earliest 
glances  and  words  in  regard  to  herself  had  been  any 
thing  but  complimentary. 


96  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

UNEXPECTEDLY  THROWN  TOGETHER. 

I  SUPPOSE  you  are  satisfied  by  this  time,  Stan- 
ton,"  began  Van  Berg,  as  they  drove  away, 
"  that  I  was  very  safe  in  offering  you  that  picture  on 
the  conditions  named,  and  that  you  have  not  the 
ghost  of  a  chance  of  obtaining  it." 

"  Nonsense,"  replied  Stanton.  "  The  picture  is 
practically  won  already.  I  admit  that  Miss  Burton  is 
an  exception  to  all  her  species  ;  and,  now  that  I  have 
seen  her,  I  prove  how  little  I  am  under  the  influence 
of  prejudice  by  acknowledging  the  fact,  and  by  giv 
ing  her  credit  for  her  courage  and  agreeable  manners. 
But  how  absurd  to  imagine  that  this  plain  little 
stranger  can  ever  be  to  me  more  than  she  is  to 
day — a  summer  acquaintance  at  a  summer  resort ! 
She  will  soon  drop  from  our  memories  and  leave  no 
more  trace  than  these  rustling  leaves  overhead  after 
they  have  fulfilled  their  brief  purpose." 

"  Here's  a  symptom  already,"  cried  Van  Berg. 
"  My  matter-of-fact  friend  is  already  in  the  subtle 
current,  and  unconsciously  drops  into  sentiment,  and 
expresses  himself  in  poetic  trope.  I  foresee  that  the 
'  rustling  leaves '  will  end  in  a.  rustling  wedding-robe 


UNEXPECTEDLY    THROWN  TOGETHER.         97 

and  gorgeous  apparel ;  for  when  you  cage  the  *  brown 
thrush '  you  will  have  the  bad  taste  to  insist  on  a 
change  of  plumage." 

"  I  begin  to  understand  you  at  last,"  retorted 
Stanton.  "  You  have  been  smitten  yourself,  and  this 
is  your  strategy  to  conceal  the  fact.  The  trouble  is 
that  you  have  overdone  the  matter,  and  revealed 
your  transfixed  heart  long  before  I  should  have  sus 
pected  the  wound.  Had  you  not  better  commence 
on  the  picture  soon,  for  this  matter  may  disable  you 
for  a  season  ?  " 

"  I  won't  swear  that  I  will  not  become  your  rival, 
for  our  little  heroine  interests  me  hugely.  There  is 
something  back  of  her  smiling  face.  Her  manner 
seems  like  crystal  in  its  frankness,  and  yet  I  think 
few  in  the  house  will  ever  become  better  acquainted 
with  her  than  they  are  to-day." 

"  I  shall  take  more  than  a  languid  interest  in 
watching  your  progress  with  this  smiling  sphinx," 
said  Stanton,  "  and  in  the  mean  time  shall  gloat  over 
my  picture." 

"  Well,  Barney,"  said  Van  Berg,  as  they  drove  up 
to  the  stables  on  their  return,  "  you  did  have  a  streak 
of  good  luck  this  afternoon.  I  hope  you  are  grateful 
to  the  lady  who  secured  it  for  you." 

"  Faix,  sur,  an'  I  niver  seed  the  likes  o'  her  afore. 
The  smilin'  look  she  gave  me  jist  warmed  the  very 
core  o'  me  heart,  and  her  swate  eyes  seemed  to  say, 
'  Nary  a  bit  o'  ill-luck  would  ye  have  again,  Barney, 
had  I  me  way.'  What's  more,  she's  a  goin'  to  inter- 
cade  for  the  nurse-maid.  They  nadn't  tell  me  that 
all  the  heretics  will  stay  in  purgatory." 


98  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Look  here,  Stanton,  were  I  a  theologian  I'd 
make  a  note  of  that.  Miss  Burton  has  discovered  a 
logic  that  routs  superstition." 

Van  Berg  quite  longed  for  the  supper  hour,  that 
he  might  resume  conversation  with  the  interesting 
stranger,  and  he  was  promptly  in  his  place  at  the 
table.  But  she  did  not  appear.  The  lady  with 
whom  she  had  been  conversing,  remarked  : 

"  She  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  just  as  you  and  your 
friend  drove  away  this  afternoon.  Learning  from 
Mr.  Burleigh  that  she  is  here  alone  and  without 
friends,  I  knocked  at  her  door  before  I  came  down, 
and  asked  if  I  could  do  anything  for  her.  She  said 
that  she  would  be  better  in  the  morning,  and  that  all 
she  needed  was  perfect  quiet.  It's  strange  how  sud 
denly  she  was  taken  ill  !  She  seemed  perfectly  well 
one  moment,  and  the  next  looked  as  startled  and 
pale  as  if  she  saw  a  ghost ;  and  then  she  fled  to  her 
room  as  if  the  ghost  were  in  pursuit.  I  suppose  it 
was  reaction  from  excitement ;  or  she  may  have  some 
form  of  heart  disease." 

"Are  heart  difficulties  so  serious  as  that  with 
ladies?  "  asked  Van  Berg  with  a  smile. 

"  I  never  had  acute  symptoms  of  any  kind,"  the 
lady  replied.  "  Indeed  I  think  I  am  a  trifle  cold  and 
matter-of-fact  in  my  disposition,  but  I  began  to  thaw 
so  perceptibly  under  Miss  Burton's  influence  that  i 
became  quite  interested  in  her.  I  think  I  deserve 
some  credit  for  saving  the  child  also,  for  it  was  I 
who  kept  her  talking  in  the  doorway.  Most  people 
are  a  weariness  to  me,  and  I  was  surprised  to  find  so 
marked  an  exception." 


UNEXPECTEDLY   THROWN   TOGETHER. 


99 


It  must  not  be  supposed  that  Van  Berg's  interest 
in  the  new  arrival  had  led  Him  to  forget  the  motive 
which  had  brought  him  to  the  Lake  House.  This 
would  not  be  in  accordance  with  his  character,  and 
as  far  as  possible,  he  had  been  closely  observant  of 
Miss  Mayhew  during  the  scenes  of  the  afternoon. 
He  had  been  rewarded  by  discovering,  for  the  first 
time,  that  she  was  at  least  capable  of  a  good  and 
generous  impulse,  for  her  face  had  been  expressive 
of  genuine  admiration  and  gladness  when  she  saw 
Miss  Burton  with  the  rescued  child  in  her  arms  after 
the  carriage  swept  by.  In  this  expression  he  ob 
tained  a  clearer  hint  than  he  had  ever  before  received 
of  the  beauty  that  might  be  her  constant  possession 
could  the  mean  and  marring  traits  of  her  character 
be  exchanged  for  qualities  in  harmony  with  her  per 
fect  features.  But  while  this  gleam,  this  flash  of 
ideal  beauty  increased  his  desire  for  success  in  his 
experiment,  the  young  lady's  bearing  towards  him 
was  as  discouraging  as  ever.  If  he  had  not  been 
at  Miss  Burton's  side,  he  believed  that  she  would 
have  come  forward  and  offered  her  congratulations 
as  had  several  other  ladies.  It  would  seem  that  her 
vanity  had  been  so  severely  wounded  she  would 
never  forgive  him,  and  he  determined  he  would  no 
longer  make  a  martyr  of  himself  by  playing  the 
agreeable  to  all  in  the  hotel  in  the  hope  that,  by 
pouring  so  much  oil  on  the  waters,  even  her  asperity 
might  be  removed.  He  half  believed  that  she  recog 
nized  his  effort  to  form  her  acquaintance,  and  found 
a  malicious  pleasure  in  thwarting  him.  Therefore, 
he  decided  to  take  his  sketch-book  and  go  off  upon 


I0o  A  FACE   ILLUMINED. 

the  hills  in  the  morning,  thus  enjoying  a  little  respite 
from  his  apparently  philanthropic  labors. 

Before  he  left  the  breakfast  table  the  following 
day,  Miss  Burton  appeared.  He  thought  he  de 
tected  an  ominous  redness  about  her  eyes,  as  well 
as  the  pallor  which  would  be  the  natural  result  of 
illness;  but  she  seemed  to  have  fully  recovered  her 
spirits,  and  the  rather  quiet  and  self-absorbed  little 
group  that  had  hitherto  seriously  devoted  themselves 
to  steak  and  coffee,  speedily  brightened  up  under  her 
pleasantries.  Indeed  she  kept  them  lingering  so  long 
that  the  Mayhews  and  Stanton  passed  out  before 
them,  the  latter  casting  a  wistful  look  at  the  cheerful 
party,  for  he  had  been  having  a  stupid  time. 

When,  much  later  than  he  expected,  he  started  on 
his  brief  sketching  excursion  he  found  that  his  mind 
was  kindled  and  aglow  with  pleasant  thoughts,  and 
that  the  summer  landscape  had  been  made  sunnier 
by  the  sunny  face  he  had  just  left. 

But  as  he  plodded  his  way  back  late  in  the  fore 
noon,  the  sunbeams,  no  longer  genial,  became 
oppressive,  and  he  was  glad  to  hail  one  of  the  hotel 
stages  that  was  returning  from  a  neighboring  village. 

The  vehicle  already  contained  two  adult  passen 
gers.  One  was  a  stout,  red-faced  woman  with  a  baby 
and  an  indefinite  number  of  parcels,  and  the  other 
was — Ida  Mayhew,  who  was  returning  from  a  brief 
shopping  excursion. 

As  the  latter  saw  Van  Berg  enter  she  colored,  bit 
her  lip,  half  frowned,  and  looked  steadfastly  away 
from  him.  Thus  the  stage  lumbered  on  with  its 
oddly  assorted  inmates,  that,  although  belonging  to 


UNEXPECTEDLY   THROWN   TOGETHER.       IOI 

the  same  human  family,  seemed  to  have  as  little  in 
common  as  if  each  had  come  from  a  different  planet. 
That  Miss  Mayhew  looked  so  resolutely  away  from 
him  was  rather  to  Van  Berg's  advantage,  for  it  gave 
him  a  chance  to  compare  her  exquisite  profile  with 
the  expanse,  slightly  diversified,  of  the  broad  red  face 
opposite. 

The  stout  woman  held  her  baby  as  if*  it  were  a 
bundle,  and  stared  straight  before  her.  As  far  as 
Van  Berg  could  observe,  not  a  trace  of  an  idea  or  a 
change  of  expression  flitted  across  the  wide  area  of 
her  sultry  visage,  and  he  found  himself  speculating 
as  to  whether  the  minds  of  these  two  women  differed 
as  greatly  as  their  outward  appearance.  Indeed  he 
questioned  whether  one  had  any  more  mind  than  the 
other,  and  was  inclined  to  think  that  despite  their 
widely  separated  spheres  in  life  they  were  equally 
dwarfed. 

While  he  was  thus  amusing  himself  with  the  con 
trasts,  physical  and  metaphysical,  which  the  two  pas 
sengers  opposite  him  presented,  the  stout  woman 
suddenly  looked  out  of  the  window  at  her  side,  and 
then,  in  a  tone  that  would  startle  the  quietest  nerves, 
shouted  to  the  driver  : 

"Hold  on!  " 

Miss  Mayhew  half  rose  from  her  seat  and  looked 
around  with  something  like  dismay  ;  but  as  she  only 
encountered  Van  Berg's  slightly  humorous  expres 
sion,  she  colored  more  deeply  than  before,  and  recalled 
her  eyes  to  the  farther  angle  of  the  stage  with  a  fixed 
ness  and  rigidity  as  great  as  if  it  had  contained  the 
head  of  Medusa. 


102  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Meantime  the  driver  drew  up  to  a  small  cottage 
by  the  road-side,  and  scrambled  down  from  his  seat 
that  he  might  assist  the  stout  woman  with  her  accu 
mulation  of  bundles.  She  handed  him  out  the  baby, 
preferring  to  look  after  the  more  precious  parcels 
herself.  Van  Berg  politely  held  the  door  open  for 
her ;  but  just  as  she  was  squeezing  through  the  stage 
entrance  with  her  arms  full  and  had  her  foot  on  the 
last  step,  her  cottage  door  flew  open  with  something 
of  the  effect  of  an  explosion,  and  out  burst  three  or 
four  children  with  a  perfect  din  of  cries  and  shouts. 
Two  vociferous  dogs  joined  in  the  sudden  uproar; 
the  hitherto  drowsy  horses  started  as  if  a  bomb-shell 
had  dropped  under  their  noses,  and  speedily  broke 
into  a  mad  gallop,  leaving  the  stout  woman  prostrate 
upon  her  bundles  in  the  road,  and  the  driver  helplessly 
holding  her  baby. 

Miss  Mayhew's  cold  rigidity  vanished  at  once. 
Indeed  dignity  was  impossible  in  the  swaying,  bounc 
ing  vehicle.  There  was  a  momentary  effort  to  ignore 
her  companion,  and  then  terror  overcame  all  scru 
ples.  Turning  her  white  face  towards  him,  she  ex 
claimed  :  -.: 

"  Are  we  not  in  great  danger  ?  " 

"  I  admit  I  would  rather  be  in  my  chair  on  Mr. 
Burleigh's  piazza.  With  your  permission,  I  will  come 
to  your  end  of  the  stage  and  speak  to  the  horses 
through  the  open  window." 

"  Oh,  come — do  anything  under  heaven  to  stop 
these  horrid  beasts." 

Van  Berg  edged  his  way  up  a  little  past  Miss  May- 
}iew,  and  began  speaking  to  the  frightened  horses  in 


UNEXPECTEDLY  THROWN  TOGETHER.   IO3 

firm,  quiet  tones.  At  first  they  paid  no  heed  to  him, 
and  as  the  stage  made  a  sudden  and  desperate  lurch, 
the  young  lady  commenced  to  scream. 

"  If  you  do  that  you  will  insure  the  breaking  of 
both  our  necks,"  said  Van  Berg,  sharply.  "  If  you 
will  keep  quiet  I  think  I  can  stop  them.  See,  we 
have  quite  a  stretch  of  level  road  beyond  us,  before 
we  come  to  a  hill.  Give  me  a  chance  to  quiet  them." 

The  terror-stricken  girl  kept  still  for  a  moment,  and 
then  started  up,  saying 

"  I  shall  spring  out." 

"  No,  Miss  Mayhew,  you  must  not  do  that,"  said 
Van  Berg,  decidedly  ;  "  you  might  be  greatly  injured, 
and  you  would  with  almost  certainty  be  disfigured 
for  life  if  you  sprang  out  upon  the  stony  road.  You 
could  not  help  falling  on  your  face," 

"  Oh,  horrible  !  "  she  exclaimed. 

At  the  next  heavy  lurch  of  the  stage  she  half-rose 
again  to  carry  out  her  rash  purpose,  but  the  artist 
seized  her  hand  and  held  her  in  her  place,  at  the  same 
time  speaking  kindly  and  firmly  to  the  horses.  They 
now  began  to  heed  his  voice,  and  to  recover  from 
their  panic. 

"  See,  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said,  "  you  have  only  to 
control  yourself  a  few  moments  longer,  and  our  dan 
ger  is  over." 

"  Oh,  do  stop  them,  quick,"  she  gasped,  clinging 
to  his  hand  as  if  he  were  her  only  hope,  "and  I'll 
never  forget  your  kind — oh,  merciful  heaven  !  " 

At  this  favorable  moment,  when  the  horses  were 
fast  coming  under  control,  a  spiteful  cur  came  tearing 
out  after  them,  renewing  their  panic  with  tenfold 


IO4  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

intensity.  As  the  dog  barked  on  one  side  they 
sheered  off  on  the  other,  until  they  plunged  down  the 
side  of  the  road.  The  stage  was  nearly  overturned, 
and  then  it  stopped  with  a  sudden  and  heavy  thump. 
Miss  Mayhew  was  precipitated  into  Mr.  Van  Berg's 
arms,  and  she  clung  to  him  for  a  moment  in  a  parox 
ysm  of  terror.  His  wits  had  not  so  far  deserted  him 
but  that  he  perceived  that  the  stage  had  struck 
against  a  tree,  that  the  horses  had  broken  away,  and 
that  he  and  his  companion  were  perfectly  safe.  If 
the  whole  truth  must  be  told,  it  cannot  be  said  that 
he  endured  the  young  lady's  embrace  with  only  cold 
and  stoical  philosophy.  He  found  it  a  wholly  novel 
and  not  a  painful  experience.  Indeed  he  was  con 
scious  of  a  temptation  to  delay  the  information  of 
their  escape,  but  a  second's  thought  taught  him  that 
he  must  at  once  employ  all  his  tact  in  the  delicate 
and  difficult  task  of  reconciling  the  frightened  girl  to 
herself  and  to  her  own  conduct ;  otherwise  her  pride, 
and  also  her  sense  of  delicacy,  would  now  receive  a 
new  and  far  deeper  wound,  and  a  more  hopeless 
estrangement  follow.  He  therefore  promptly  lifted 
her  up,  and  placed  her  limp  form  on  the  opposite 
seat. 

"  I  assure  you  we  are  now  perfectly  safe,  Miss 
Mayhew,"  he  said  ;  "  and  let  me  congratulate  you 
that  your  self-control  prevented  you  from  leaving  the 
stage,  for  if  you  had  done  so  you  would  undoubt 
edly  have  been  greatly  injured." 

"  Where — where  are — the  horses  ?  "  she  faltered. 

"  I  really  do  not  know  !  They  have  disappeared. 
The  stage  struck  a  tree,  and  the  brutes  broke  a\vayt 


UNEXPECTEDLY  THROWN  TOGETHER. 


105 


They  will  probably  gallop  home  to  the  alarm  and 
excitement  of  every  one  about  the  hotel.  Pray  com 
pose  yourself.  The  house  is  not  far  away,  and  we 
can  soon  reach  it  if  you  are  not  very  much  hurt." 

"  Are  you  sure  the  danger  is  all  over  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  there  is  now  not  the  slightest  chance  of  a 
tragedy." 

There  must  have  been  a  faint  twinkle  in  his  eye, 
for  she  exclaimed,  passionately  : 

"  The  whole  thing  has  been  a  comedy  to  you,  and 
I  half  believe  you  brought  it  all  about  to  annoy  me." 

"  You  do  me  great  injustice,  Miss  Mayhew,"  said 
Van  Berg,  warmly. 

"  Here  we  are  sitting  in  this  horrid  old  stage  by 
the  roadside,"  she  resumed,  in  tones  of  strong  vexa 
tion.  "Was  there  ever  anything  more  absurd  and 
ridiculous  than  it  has  all  been  !  I  am  mortified  be 
yond  expression,  and  suppose  I  shall  never  hear  the 
last  of  it,"  and  she  burst  into  a  hysterical  passion  of 
tears. 

"Miss  Mayhew,"  said  Van  Berg  hastily,  "you 
certainly  must  realize  that  we  have  passed  through 
very  great  peril  together,  and  if  you  think  me  capa 
ble  of  saying  a  word  about  this  episode  that  is  not  to 
your  credit,  you  were  never  more  mistaken  in  your 
life." 

At  this  assurance  she  became  more  calm. 

"  I  know  you  dislike  me  most  heartily,"  Van  Berg 
continued  ;  "  but  you  have  less  reason  to  do  so  than 
you  think " 

"  I  have  good  reason  to  dislike  you.  You  despise 
me  ;  and  now  that  I  have  been  such  a  coward  you 


IO6  A  FACE  /LLUM1NED. 

are  comparing  me  with  Miss  Burton  who  acted  so 
differently  yesterday." 

"  I  have  not  even  thought  of  Miss  Burton,"  pro 
tested  Van  Berg,  at  the  same  time  conscious,  now 
that  her  name  had  been  recalled  to  his  memory,  that 
she  would  have  acted  a  much  better  part.  "  I  am* 
only  sincerely  glad  that  our  necks  were  not  broken, 
and  I  hope  that  you  have  not  suffered  any  severe 
bruises.  As  to  my  despising  you,  if  you  will  honor 
me  with  your  acquaintance  you  may  discover  that 
you  are  greatly  in  error." 

"  Then  you  truly  think  that  we  have  been  in  dan 
ger  ?  "  she  asked,  wiping  her  eyes.  '  • 

"  Most  assuredly.  When  you  come  to  think  the 
matter  over  calmly,  you  will  realize  that  we  were  in 
very  great  danger.  I  think  the  affair  has  ended  most 
happily  rather  than  absurdly." 

"  Really,  sir,  when  I  remember  how  the  4  affair,' 
as  you  term  it,  actually  did  end,  I  feel  as  if  I  never 
wished  to  see  you  again." 

"  Miss  Mayhew,  I  appeal  to  your  generosity. 
Was  I  to  blame  for  that  which  was  so  disagreeable  to 
you  ?  Surely  you  will  not  be  so  unfair  as  to  punish 
me  for  what  neither  you  nor  I  could  help.  I  think 
fate  means  we  shall  be  friends,  and  has  employed 
this  unexpected  episode  to  break  the  ice  between 
us.  If  you  are  now  sufficiently  composed  I  will 
assist  you  to  alight,  in  order  that  the  driver,  who  is 
approaching,  may  be  relieved  of  all  fears  on  our 
account." 

"  Oh,  certainly.  As  it  is,  I  suppose  he  will  have 
a  ridiculous  story  to  tell." 


UNEXPECTEDLY   THROWN   TOGETHER. 


lO/ 


"  There  is  nothing  that  he,  or  the  others  who  are 
following  him  can  tell,  save  that  the  horses  ran  away 
and  that  we  most  fortunately  escaped  all  injury.  Ah! 
I  see  that  you  are  a  little  lame.  Please  take  my  arm  ; 
the  hotel  is  but  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  Or  per 
haps  you  would  prefer  that  I  should  send  the  driver 
for  a  carriage.  You  could  wait  in  yonder  cottage, 
or  here,  in  the  shade  of  the  trees." 

"  I  am  not  very  lame,  and  if  I  were  I  would  not 
mind  it.  My  wish  is  that  the  horrid  affair  may  occa 
sion  as  little  remark  as  possible.  I  can  reach  my 
room  by  a  side  entrance,  and  so  come  quietly  down 
to  dinner.  I  suppose  that  I  must  take  your  arm 
since  I  cannot  walk  very  well  without  it." 

They  therefore  turned  their  backs  on  the  breath 
less  driver  and  his  eager  questions,  and  proceeded 
slowly  towards  the  hotel.  After  a  brief  examination 
of  the  shattered  stage,  the  man  ran  panting  past  them 
in  search  of  his  horses  ;  and  they  were  again  left 
alone. 


108  -A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PHRASES  TOO   SUGGESTIVE. 

FOR  a  few  moments  Miss  Mayhew  and  Van  Berg 
walked  on  in  silence,  each  very  doubtful  of  the 
other.  At  last  the  artist  began  : 

"  I  am  well  aware,  Miss  Mayhew,  that  this  unex 
pected  episode  and  this  enforced  companionship  give 
me  no  rights  whatever.  I  do  not  propose  to  annoy 
you,  after  seeing  you  safely  to  the  hotel,  by  assuming 
that  we  are  acquainted,  nor  do  I  intend  to  subject 
myself  to  the  mortification  of  being  informed  publicly, 
by  your  manner,  that  we  are  not  on  speaking  terms. 
I  would  be  glad  to  have  this  question  settled  now. 
I  ask  your  pardon  for  anything  that  I  may  have  said 
or  done  to  hurt  your  feelings,  and  having  thus  gone 
more  than  half-way  it  would  be  ungenerous  on  your 
part  not  to  respond  in  like  spirit." 

"  You  apologize,  then  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  ask  your  pardon  for  anything  that  may  have 
hurt  your  feelings." 

"  You  have  said  very  disagreeable  things  about  me, 
Mr.  Van  Berg." 

"  I  did  not  know  you  then." 

"  I  do  not  think  you  have  changed  your  opinion  of 
me  in  the  least." 


PHRASES    TOO   SUGGESTIVE. 


IO9 


"  I  evidently  have  a  much  higher  opinion  of  you 
than  you  of  me,  and  I  am  seeking  your  acquaintance 
with  a  persistence  such  as  I  never  manifested  in  the 
case  of  any  other  lady.  Thus  the  odds  are  all  in  your 
favor.  Having  been  so  unexpectedly  thrown  to 
gether " 

'"  Thrown  together,'  indeed — Mr.  Van  Berg,  you 
are  mocking  me,"  and  her  eyes  again  filled  with  tears 
of  vexation. 

"  I  assure  you  I  am  not,"  said  Van  Berg  ear 
nestly.  "  I  could  not  be  so  mean  as  to  twit  you 
with  an  accident  which  you  could  not  help,  and  with 
an  act  which  was  wholly  involuntary  on  your  part. 
Can  we  not  both  let  by-gones  be  by-gones  and  com 
mence  anew  ?  " 

Miss  Mayhew  bit  her  lip  and  hesitated  a  few 
moments. 

"  I  think  that  will  be  the  better  way,"  she  said. 
"  We  will  both  let  by-gones  be  by-gones,  especially 
this  ridiculous  episode  in  the  stage.  I'll  put  you  on 
your  good  behavior." 

"  Thank  you,  Miss  Mayhew.  I  would  take  our  late 
risk  twenty  times  for  such  a  result." 

"  I  would  not  take  it  again  on  any  account  whatever. 
Please  refer  to  it  no  more.  I  declare,  there  comes 
Cousin  Ik  and  Mr.  Burleigh  to  meet  us.  Was  one's 
fortune  ever  so  exasperating  !  Ik  will  teaze  me  out 
of  all  comfort  for  weeks  to  come." 

"  Say  little  and  leave  all  to  my  discretion,"  said 
Van  Berg,  reassuringly  ;  "  and,  by  the  way,  you  might 
limp  a  little  more  decidedly,"  which  she  immediately 
did. 


HO  A  FACE  ILLUMINED 

"  My  dear  Miss  Mayhew,  I  trust  you  are  not  se 
riously  hurt,"  began  Mr.  Burleigh  while  still  several 
yards  off. 

Stanton's  face  was  a  study  as  he  approached. 
Indeed  he  seemed  half  ready  to  explode  with  sup 
pressed  merriment,  but  before  he  could  speak  a  warn 
ing  glance  from  Van  Berg  checked  him. 

4<  Miss  Mayhew  might  have  been  seriously  and 
possibly  fatally  injured,"  said  the  artist  gravely,  "  had 
it  not  been  for  her  self-control.  Although  it  seemed 
that  the  stage  would  be  dashed  to  pieces  every 
moment,  I  told  her  that  in  my  judgment  it  would  be 
safer  to  remain  within  it  than  to  spring  out  upon  the 
hard  and  stony  road,  and  I  am  very  glad  that  the 
final  event  confirmed  my  opinion." 

As  they  were  by  this  time  near  to  the  hotel,  others 
who  had  been  alarmed  by  seeing  the  horses  tearing 
up  to  the  stable  door,  now  hastily  joined  them  ;  and 
last,  but  not  least,  Mrs.  Mayhew  came  panting  upon 
the  scene.  Van  Berg  felt  the  hand  of  the  young  lady 
trembling  in  nervous  apprehension  upon  his  arm,  from 
which,  in  her  embarrassment,  she  forgot  to  remove  it. 
But  the  artist  did  not  fail  her,  and  in  answer  to  Mr. 
Burleigh's  eager  questions  as  to  the  cause  of  the  acci 
dent,  explained  all  so  plausibly,  and  in  such  a  matter- 
of-fact  manner  as  left  little  more  even  to  be  surmised. 
His  brief  and  prosaic  history  of  the  affair  concluded 
with  the  following  implied  tribute  to  his  companion, 
which  still  further  relieved  her  from  fear  of  ridicule  : 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said,  "  instead  of  jumping  out, 
after  the  frantic  terror-blinded  manner  of  most  peo 
ple,  remained  in  the  stage  and  so  has  escaped,  I  trust, 


PHRASES    TOO  SUGGESTIVE.  m 

with  nothing  worse  than  a  slight  lameness  caused  by 
the  violent  motion  of  the  vehicle.  I  will  now  resign 
her  to  your  care,  Mr.  Stanton,  and  I  am  glad  to 
believe  that  the  occasion  will  require  the  services  of 
the  wheelwright  and  harness-maker  only,  and  not 
those  of  a  surgeon,"  and  lifting  his  hat  to  Mrs.  May- 
hew  and  her  daughter  he  bowed  himself  off  the  scene. 

Ida,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  her  cousin,  limped  ap 
propriately  to  her  room,  whither  she  had  her  dinner 
sent  to  her,  more  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  time  to 
compose  her  nerves  than  for  any  other  reason. 

The  impression  that  she  had  behaved  courageously 
in  peril  was  rapidly  increased  as  the  story  was  repeated 
by  one  and  another,  and  she  received  several  congrat 
ulatory  visits  in  the  afternoon  from  her  lady  acquaint 
ances  ;  and  when  she  came  down  to  supper  she  found 
that  she  was  even  a  greater  heroine  than  Miss  Burton 
had  been.  In  answer  to  many  sympathetic  inquiries, 
she  said  that  she  "  felt  as  well  as  ever,"  and  she  tried 
to  prove  it  by  her  gayety  and  careful  toilet. 

But  she  was  decidedly  ill  at  ease.  Her  old  self- 
complacency  was  ebbing  away  faster  than  ever. 
From  the  time  that  it  had  first  been  disturbed  by  the 
artist's  frown  in  the  concert  garden,  she  had  been 
conscious  of  a  secret  and  growing  self-dissatisfaction. 

It  seemed  to  be  this  stranger's  mission  to  break 
the  spell  vanity  and  flattery  had  woven  about  her. 
The  congratulations  she  was  now  receiving  were  se 
cured  by  a  fraudulent  impression,  if  not  by  actual 
falsehood,  and  she  permitted  this  impression  to  re 
main  and  grow.  The  one,  who  above  all  others  she 
most  feared  and  disliked,  knew  this.  In  smilingly 


U2  A   FACE  TLLUMTNED. 

accepting  the  compliments  showered  upon  her  from 
all  sides  she  felt  that  she  must  appear  to  him  as  if 
receiving  stolen  goods,  and  she  believed  that  in  his 
heart  he  despised  her  more  thoroughly  than  ever. 

To  the  degree  that  he  caused  her  disquietude  and 
secret  humiliation,  her  desire  to  retaliate  increased, 
and  she  resolved,  before  the  day  closed,  to  use  her 
beauty  as  a  weapon  to  inflict  upon  him  the  severest 
wound  possible.  If  it  were  within  the  power  of  her 
art  she  would  bring  him  to  her  feet  and  keep  him 
there  until  she  could,  in  the  most  decided  and  public 
manner,  spurn  his  abject  homage.  She  would  have 
no  scruple  in  doing  this  in  any  case,  but,  in  this  in 
stance,  success  would  give  her  the  keenest  satisfac 
tion. 

His  very  desire  for  her  acquaintance,  as  she  under 
stood  it,  was  humiliating,  and,  in  a  certain  sense, 
demoralizing.  Her  other  suitors  had  imagined  that 
she  had  good  traits  back  of  her  beauty,  and  hitherto 
she  had  been  carelessly  content  to  believe  that  she 
could  display  such  traits  in  abundance  should  the  oc 
casion  require  them.  Here  was  one,  however,  who, 
while  despising  the  woman,  was  apparently  seeking 
her  for  the  sake  of  her  beauty  merely  ;  and  her 
woman's  soul,  warped  and  dwarfed  as  it  was,  resented 
an  homage  that  was  seemingly  sensuous  and  super 
ficial,  and  would,  of  necessity,  be  transient.  In  her 
ignorance  of  Van  Berg's  motives,  and  in  the  utter 
impossibility  of  surmising  them,  she  could  scarcely 
come  to  any  other  conclusion  ;  and  she  determined 
to  punish  him  to  the  utmost  extent  of  her  ability. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  Miss  Mayhew  had  designs 


PHRASES  TOO  SUGGESTIVE.        jj3 

against  Van  Berg  that  were  not  quite  as  amiable  as 
those  of  the  artist  in  regard  to  herself. 

Stanton,  in  a  low  tone,  remarked  to  her  at  the 
supper  table,  "  Now  that  fate  has  thrown  you  and 
Van  Berg  together  in  such  a  remarkable  manner  " 
(the  young  lady  colored  deeply  akthis  unfortunate  ex 
pression  and  looked  at  him  keenly),  "  I  trust  that  you 
will  yield  gracefully  to  destiny  and  treat  him  with 
ordinary  courtesy  when  you  meet.  Otherwise  you 
may  occasion  surmises  that  will  not  be  agreeable  to 
you." 

"  Has  he  been  telling  you  anything  about  this 
morning  ?  "  she  asked  quickly. 

"  Nothing  more  than  he  said  in  your  presence. 
Why,  was  there  anything  more  to  tell  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not,  but  he  made  ill-natured  remarks 
about  me  once — that  is,  you  said  he  did — and  why 
should  he  not  again  ?  " 

"  Well,  he  has  not.  I  think  he  spoke  very  hand 
somely  of  you  this  morning.  I  hope  he  didn't 
exaggerate  your  good  behavior.'1 

"  If  you  prefer  to  believe  ill  of  me  you  are  welcome 
to  do  so.  For  my  part,  I  believe  you  exaggerate 
what  Mr.  Van  Berg  said  at  the  concert,  and  that  he 
never  meant  to  be  so  rude.  As  far  as  I  can  judge, 
he  has  shown  no  such  unmannerly  disposition  since 
coming  here." 

"  Indeed,  you  are  right.  I  think  his  disposition 
has  compared  favorably  with  your  own."  v 

"Well,"  she  replied,  with  a  peculiar  smile,  "we 
are  on  speaking  terms  for  the  present." 

"  That  smile  bodes  no  good-will  towards  my  friend, 


H4  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

but  for  once  you  will  find  a  man  who  will  not  fall 
helplessly  in  love  with  your  mere  beauty." 

4 'If you  will  glance  at  yonder  table  you  can  see 
that  Miss  Burton  has  already  so  absorbed  him  that 
he  has  eyes  for  no  one  else." 

"  They  have  jolly  good  times  at  that  table.  I  wish 
we  were  there." 

"  Indeed  !  are  you  bewitched  also  ?  I  can't  see 
what  it  is  that  people  find  so  attractive  in  that  plain- 
looking  girl." 

"  Well,  for  one  thing,  she  has  a  mind.  Beauty  with 
out  mind  is  like  salad  without  dressing." 

"  And  do  you  mean  to  say  that  I  have  no  mind  ?  " 
Ida  asked,  with  a  sudden  flush. 

"  My  dear  Coz,  we  were  speaking  solely  of  Miss 
Burton.  Indeed,  I  think  you  have  a  very  decided 
will  of  your  own." 

"  I  understand  you.  Well,  in  what  other  respects 
is  Miss  Burton  my  superior  ?  " 

"  I  doubt  if  Miss  Burton  ever  thinks  of  herself  as 
superior  to  any  one,  and  that's  another  very  amiable 
trait  in  her." 

"  Can  you  not  sum  up  her  perfections  a  little  more 
rapidly  ?  Life  is  short,"  remarked  Ida,  acidly. 

"  Come,  Coz,  let  me  get  you  some  sweet-oil  before 
you  finish  your  supper.  You  know  you  are  the  hand 
somest  girl  in  the  State,  and  that's  distinction  enough 
for  one  woman.  To  you,  Miss  Burton  is  only  a 
plain  school-teacher.  Why  should  you  envy  her  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  envy  her,  nor  can  I  see  why  people  are 
so  carried  away  with  her." 

"  It  is  remarkable  to  see  what  an  impression  she 


PHRASES    TOO   SUGGESTIVE.  \\$ 

has  made  in  two  brief  days.  Of  course  her  courage 
in  saving  the  child  served  as  a  general  and  favorable 
introduction,  but  it  does  not  by  any  means  explain 
her  growing  popularity.  For  some  reason  or  other 
those  about  her  always  seem  to  be  having  a  good 
time.  See  how  animated  and  pleased  is  the  expres 
sion  of  all  the  faces  at  her  table  yonder.  It  was  the 
same  on  the  croquet-ground  this  morning.  She  effer 
vesced  like  champagne,  and  before  we  knew  it  we  were 
all  in  a  state  of  exhilaration  and  the  morning  had 
gone." 

"  I  hate  these  bold,  forward  women  who  are  quick 
to  become  acquainted  with  every  one.  A  man  of 
this  type  is  bad  enough,  but  a  woman  is  unendur 
able." 

"  I  agree  with  you  in  the  abstract  most  heartily; 
but  the  only  bold  thing  that  I  have  seen  Miss  Burton 
do  was  to  run  under  the  feet  of  my  horses.  You 
might  as  well  call  a  ray  of  sunshine  bold  and  forward  ; 
and  people  like  sunshine  when  it  is  as  nicely  tempered 
as  her  manner  is.  I  confess  that  when  I  first  learned 
who  she  was,  and  before  I  had  met  her  personally,  I 
was  greatly  prejudiced  against  her,  but  one  would 
have  to  be  a  churl  indeed  to  remain  proof  against  her 
genial  good-nature.  For  my  part  I  intend  to  enjoy 
it,  as  I  do  all  the  other  good  things  the  gods  throw 
in  my  way." 

"  The  gods  would  indeed  be  careless  to  leave  any 
good  things  within  your  reach,  unless  they  were  meant 
for  you,"  snapped  Ida. 

'"  Good  for  you,  Coz  ;  your  ride  with  Van  Berg  has 
already  brightened  you  up.  There  is  no  telling  what 


Il6  A    FACE  ILLUMINED. 

you  might  not  become  if  you  would  only  associate 
with  men  who  had  sufficient  brains  not  to  grow 
spooney  over  your  pretty  face." 

As  Ida  and  her  mother  passed  out  on  the  piazza, 
Van  Berg  joined  them  and  said  : 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  have  so  fully  recovered, 
Miss  Mayhew.  You  prove  again  that  you  possess 
good  strong  nerves." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  young  lady,  laconically, 
and  with  a  sudden  accession  of  color. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  began  Mrs.  Mayhew  with  great 
animation,  "I'm  excessively  thankful  that  you  hap 
pened  to  be  on  the  road,  and  that  the  stage  overtook 
you  this  morning.  It  was  so  fortunate  that  I  almost 
think  it  providential.  How  dreadful  it  would  have 
been  if  Ida  had  been  alone  in  such  frightful  peril  !  I 
cannot  tell  you  also  how  delighted  I  am  that  my 
daughter  behaved  so  beautifully.  Indeed,  I  must  con 
fess  that  I  am  agreeably  surprised,  for  Ida  was  never 
famous  for  courage.  Your  own  manner  must  have 
inspired  confidence  in  her  ;  and  now  that  you  have 
been  so  fortunately  thrown  together,  I  trust  you  may 
be  better  friends  in  the  future." 

Miss  Mayhew's  rising  color  deepened  into  an  in 
tense  scarlet,  and,  as  she  turned  away  to  hide  her 
confusion,  she  could  not  forbear  shooting  a  wrathful 
glance  at  the  artist.  He  had  sufficient  self-control  not 
to  change  a  muscle,  or  to  appear  in  the  slightest  de 
gree  aware  of  the  embarrassment  caused  by  her 
mother's  words,  and  especially  the  use  of  a  phrase — 
grown  to  be  most  hateful  from  its  associations — that 
so  vividly  recalled  to  the  incensed  maiden  the  anom- 


PffRASES    TOO   SUGGESTIVE.  nj 

alous  position  in  which  she  found  herself  at  the  end 
of  her  perilous  morning  ride. 

"  You  ladies  differ  favorably  from  us  men,"  said 
Van  Berg,  quietly  ;  "  you  rise  to  meet  an  emergency 
by  an  innate  quality  of  your  sex,  whereas,  in  our 
case,  if  our  native  strength  is  not  equal  to  the  occa 
sion  we  fall  below  it  as  a  matter  of  course." 

"  Oh,  that  accounts  for  Ida's  coming  off  with  such 
flying  colors — she  rose  to  meet  the  emergency.  I 
hope,  however,  she  will  embrace  no  more  such  oppor 
tunities  of  showing  her  courage — why !  Ida,  what  is 
the  matter  ?  what  have  I  said  ?  "  but  the  young  lady, 
with  face  inflamed,  vanished  in  the  direction  of  her 
room. 

"  Well,  this  is  strange,"  remarked  the  lady  with  a 
sharp  glance  of  inquiry  at  the  artist,  who  still  managed 
to  maintain  an  expression  of  lamb-like  innocence. 
"  I  do  believe  the  poor  child  is  ill,  and,  now  I  think 
of  it,  she  has  not  acted  like  herself  for  several  days  ;  " 
and  she  sought  her  daughter  with  hasty  steps. 

But  the  young  lady  did  not  go  to  her  room,  being 
well  aware  that  her  mother  would  soon  follow  for  the 
explanation  which  she  could  not  give.  Therefore, 
taking  a  side  corridor,  she  joined  some  acquaintances 
on  another  piazza. 


FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XL 

A   "  TABLEAU   VIVANT." 

MISS  MAYHEW,  will  you  please  step  here  ?  " 
said  a  very  fashionably  dressed  lady. 

Turning,  Ida  saw  near  her  the  mother  of  the  child 
that  had  been  rescued  the  previous  day.  She,  with 
her  husband,  had  been  talking  very  earnestly  to  Mr. 
Burleigh,  the  proprietor  of  the  house,  who  seemed  in 
rather  a  dubious  state  of  mind  over  some  proposition 
of  theirs. 

"  Miss  Mayhew,  we  want  your  opinion  in  regard 
to  a  certain  matter,"  began  the  lady  volubly.  "  Of 
course  I  and  my  husband  feel  very  grateful  to  the 
young  woman  who  saved  our  child  from  your  cousin's 
horses  yesterday.  Indeed,  my  husband  feels  so 
deeply  indebted  that  he  wishes  to  make  some  return, 
and  I  have  suggested  that  he  present  her  with  a 
check  for  five  hundred  dollars.  I  learn  from  Mr.  Bur 
leigh  that  she  is  a  teacher,  and  therefore,  of  course, 
she  must  be  poor.  Now,  in  my  view,  if  my  husband 
or  some  other  gentleman  should  present  this  check  in 
the  parlor,  with  an  appropriate  little  speech,  it  would 
be  a  nice  acknowledgment  of  her  act.  Don't  you 
think  so  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  think  I  am  qualified  to  give  an  opinion," 


TABLEAU   VI V ANT} 


119 


said  Ida,  "as  I  have  no  acquaintance  with  the  lady 
whatever." 

"  I'm  sure  it  will  be  just  the  thing  to  do,"  said  the 
lady,  becoming  more  infatuated  with  her  project 
every  moment.  "  Do  you  think  your  cousin  would 
be  willing  to  make  the  speech  ?  " 

At  this  suggestion  Ida  laughed  outright.  "  The 
idea,"  she  said,  "  of  my  cousin  making  a  speech  of 
any  kind,  or  in  any  circumstances  !  " 

"  Now  I  think  of  it,"  persisted  the  lady,  "  Miss 
Burton  and  Mr.  Van  Berg  sit  at  the  same  table,  and 
he  seems  better  acquainted  with  her  than  any  of  the 
gentlemen.  He's  the  one  to  make  the  speech,  only  I 
do  not  feel  that  I  know  him  well  enough  to  ask  him. 
Do  you,  Miss  Mayhew?" 

"  Indeed  I  do  not,"  saidthe  young  lady,  decisively  ; 
"  I  am  the  last  one  in  this  house  to  ask  any  favors  of 
Mr.  Van  Berg." 

"Well,  then,  Mr.  Burleigh  can  explain  everything 
and  ask  him." 

"Really  now,  Mrs.  Chints "  —  for  such  was  the 
lady's  name  —  "  I  don't  quite  believe  that  Mr.  Van 
Berg  would  approve  of  giving  Miss  Burton  money  in 
public,  and  before  anything  further  is  done  I  would 
like  to  ask  his  judgment.  It  all  may  be  eminently 
proper,  as  you  say,  and  I  would  not  like  to  stand  in 
the  way  of  the  young  lady's  receiving  so  handsome 
a  present,  and  would  not  for  the  world  if  I  thought  it 
would  be  agreeable  to  her ;  but  there  is  something 
about  her  that " 

"  I  have  it,"  interrupted  the  positive-minded  lady, 
unheeding  and  scarcely  hearing  Mr.  Burleigh's  dubi- 


120  A   FACE  TLLUMtNED. 

ous  circumlocution,  and  she  put  her  finger  to  her 
forehead  for  a  moment  in  an  affected  stage-like  man 
ner,  as  if  her  ideas  of  the  "  eternal  fitness  of  things" 
had  been  obtained  from  the  sensational  drama.  "  I 
have  it :  the  child  himself  shall  hand  her  the  gift  from 
his  own  little  hand,  and  you,  Mr.  Chints,  can  say  all 
that  need  be  said.  It  will  be  a  pretty  scene,  a  tableau 
vivant.  Mr.  Chints,  come  with  me  before  the  young 
woman  leaves  her  present  favorable  position  near  the 
parlor  door.  Mr.  Burleigh,  your  scruples  are  senti 
mental  and  groundless.  Of  course  the  young  woman 
will  be  delighted  to  receive  in  one  evening  as  much, 
and  perhaps  more,  than  her  whole  year's  seilary 
amounts  to.  Come,  Mr.  Chints,  Mr.  Burleigh,  if  you 
wish,  you  may  group  some  of  your  friends  near ;  " 
and  away  she  rustled,  sweeping  the  floor  with  her 
silken  train. 

Mr.  Chints  lumbered  after  her  with  a  perplexed  and 
martyr- like  expression.  He  was  a  mighty  man  in 
Washington  Market,  but  in  a  matter  like  this  he  was 
as  helpless  as  a  stranded  whale.  The  gift  of  five 
hundred  dollars  did  not  trouble  him  in  the  least ;  he 
could  soon  make  that  up ;  but  taking  part  in  a 
"  tableau  vivant"  under  the  auspices  of  his  dramatic 
wife  was  like  being  impaled. 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Burleigh,  shaking  his  head,  "I 
wash  my  hands  of  the  whole  matter.  Five  hundred 
dollars  is  a  snug  sum,  but  I  doubt  if  that  little  woman 
takes  it.  I'm  more  afraid  she'll  be  offended  and  hurt. 
What  do  you  think,  Miss  Mayhew  ?  " 

"I've  no  opinion  to  offer,  Mr.  Burleigh.  These 
people  are  all  comparative  strangers  to  me.  Mrs. 


"TABLEAU    VIVANT."  I2I 

Chints  is  determined  to  have  her  own  way,  and 
nothing  that  you  or  I  can  say  would  make  any 
difference.  My  rule  is  to  let  people  alone,  and  if  they 
get  into  scrapes  it  sometimes  does  them  good ; " 
and  she  left  him  that  she  might  witness  the  Chints' 
tableau. 

11  That's  just  the  difference  between  you  and  Miss 
Burton,"  muttered  Mr.  Burleigh,  nodding  his  head 
significantly  after  her.  "  She'd  help  a  fellow  out  of  a 
scrape  and  you'd  help  him  into  one.  Well,  if  the  old 
saying's  true,  '  Handsome  is  that  handsome  does,' 
the  little  school-teacher  would  be  the  girl  for  me 
were  I  looking  for  my  mate." 

On  her  way  to  the  entrance  of  the  main  parlor,  Ida 
stopped  a  moment  at  an  open  window  near  the  cor 
ner  where  Stanton  and  Van  Berg  were  smoking. 

"  Cousin  Ik,"  she  said,  sotto  voce. 

He  rose  and  joined  her. 

"  If  you  wish  to  see  a  rich  scene,  hover  near  the 
entrance  of  the  main  parlor." 

"  What  do  you  mean?" 

"  I've  learned  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chints,  and  possi 
bly  your  favorite  new  performer,  Miss  Burton,  are 
going  to  act  a  little  comedy  together  :  come  and  see  ;  " 
and  she  vanished. 

"  Van,"  said  Stanton  in  a  vexed  tone,  "  there's 
some  mischief  on  foot ;  "  and  he  mentioned  what  his 
cousin  had  said,  adding :  "  Can  Ida  have  been  putting 
that  brassy  Mrs.  Chints  up  to  some  absurd  perform 
ance  that  will  hurt  Miss  Burton's  feelings  ?  " 

They  rose  and  sauntered  down  the  piazza,  Van 
Berg  trying  to  imagine  what  was  about  to  take  place 


122  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

and  how  he  could  shield  the  young  lady  from  any 
annoyance. 

Srhe  sat  inside  the  entrance  of  the  main  parlor 
facing  the  open  windows,  and  a  little  group  had 
gathered  around  her,  including  the  ladies  who  sat  at 
her  table,  with  whom  she  had  already  become  a 
favorite.  Ida  had  demurely  entered  by  one  of  the 
open  windows  and  was  apparently  reading  a  novel 
under  one  of  the  gas  jets  not  far  away.  Groups  of 
people  were  chatting  near  or  were  seated  around  card- 
tables  ;  others  were  quietly  promenading  in  the  hall 
ways  and  on  the  piazza.  There  was  not  an  indication 
of  any  expected  or  unexpected  "  scene."  Only  Ida's 
conscious,  observant  expression  and  the  absence  of 
Mrs.  Chints  foreboded  mischief. 

"  What  enormity  can  that  odious  family  be  about 
to  perpetrate?"  whispered  Stanton. 

11 1  cannot  surmise,"  answered  Van  Berg ;  "  some 
thing  in  reference  to  the  rescue  of  her  child,  I  suppose. 
I  wish  I  could  thwart  them,  for  Miss  Burton's  position 
will  place  her  full  in  the  public  eye,  and  I  do  not  wish 
her  to  be  the  victim  of  their  vulgarity." 

After  a  little  further  hesitation  and  thought  he 
stepped  in,  and  approaching  Miss  Burton,  said  : 

"  Pardon  me  for  interrupting  you,  but  I  wish  to  show 
you  something  on  the  piazza,  that  will  interest  you." 

She  rose  to  follow  him,  but  before  she  could  take  a 
step  Mrs.  Chints  swept  in  on  the  arm  of  her  husband, 
followed  by  the  nurse — who  had  been  retained  at  Miss 
Burton's  intercession — bearing  in  her  arms  the  little 
boy,  that  stared  at  the  lights  and  people  with  the 
round  eyes  of  childish  wonder. 


TABLEAU    VIVANT." 


123 


Every  one  looked  up  in  surprise  at  the  sudden 
appearance  of  the  little  group,  that  suggested  a  chris 
tening  more  than  anything  else. 

Planting  themselves  before  Miss  Burton,  thus  bar 
ring  all  egress,  Mr.  Chints  fumbled  a  moment  in  his 
pocket  and  drew  out  an  envelope,  and  with  a  loud, 
prefatory  "  Ahem  !  "  began  : 

"  My  dear  Miss  Burton — that  is  the  way  Mrs. 
Chints  says  I  should  address  you,  though  it  strikes 
me  as  a  trifle  familiar  and  affectionate  ;  but  I  mean 
no  harm — we're  under  pecul — very  great  obligations 
to  you.  We  learn  —  my  wife  has  —  that  you  are 
engaged  —  engaged  —  in  —  I  mean  that  you  —  teach. 
I'm  sure  that's  a  lawful  calling  —  I  mean  a  laudable 
one,  and  no  one  can  deny  that  it's  useful.  In  my 
view  it's  to  your  credit  that  you  are  engaged  —  in  — 
that  you  teach.  I  work  myself,  and  always  mean  to. 
In  fact  I  enjoy  it  more  than  making  speeches.  But 
feeling  that  we  were  under  wonderful  obligations  to 
you,  and  learning — my  wife  did — that  you  were  de 
pendent  on — on  your  own  labor,  we  thought  that  if 
this  little  fellow  that  you  saved  so  handsomely  should 
hand  you  this  check  for  five  hundred  dollars  it 
wouldn't  be  amiss."  And  here,  according  to  rehear 
sal,  the  nurse  with  great  parade  handed  the  child  to 
Mrs.  Chints,  who  now,  with  much  empressement, 
advanced  to  a  position  immediately  before  Miss  Bur 
ton  ;  meanwhile  the  poor,  perspiring  Mr.  Chints  put 
the  envelope  into  the  child's  chubby  hand,  saying: 

"  Give  it  to  the  lady,  Augustus." 

But  the  small  Augustus,  on  the  contrary,  stared  at 
the  lady  and  put  the  envelope  in  his  mouth,  to  the 


124  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

great  mortification  of  Mrs.  Chints,  who  had  been  so 
preoccupied  with  the  Chints  side  of  the  affair,  and 
the  impression  they  were  making  on  the  extempor 
ized  audience,  that  she  had  no  eyes  for  Miss  Burton. 

And  that  young  lady's  face  was,  in  truth,  a  study. 
An  expression  of  surprise  was  followed  quickly  by 
one  of  resentment.  Even  Stanton  was  obliged  to 
admit  that  for  a  moment  the  little  "  school-ma'am  " 
looked  formidable.  But  as  Mr.  Chints  floundered  on 
in  his  speech,  as  some  poor  wretch  who  could  not 
swim  might  struggle  to  get  out  of  the  deep  water  into 
which  he  had  been  thrown,  the  expression  of  her  face 
softened,  and  one  might  imagine  the  thought  passing 
through  her  mind — "  They  don't  know  any  better  ;  " 
and  when,  at  last,  the  child,  instead  of  carrying  out 
the  climax  that  Mrs.  Chints  had  intended,  began  to 
vigorously  munch  the  envelope  containing  the  pre 
cious  check,  there  was  even  a  twinkle  of  humor  in  the 
young  lady's  syes.  But  she  responded  gravely  : 

"  Mr.  Chints,  I  was  at  first  inclined  to  resent  this 
scene,  but  time  has  been  given  me  to  perceive  that 
neither  you  nor  your  wife  wish  to  hurt  my  feelings, 
and  that  you  are  in  part,  at  least,  actuated  by  feel 
ings  of  gratitude  for  the  service  that  I  was  so  fortu 
nate  as  to  render  you.  But  I  fear  you  do  not  quite 
understand  me.  You  are  right  in  one  respect,  how 
ever.  I  do  labor  for  my  own  livelihood,  and  it  is  a 
source  of  the  deepest  satisfaction  to  me  that  I  can  live 
from  my  own  work  and  not  from  gifts.  If  your  hearts 
prompt  this  large  donation,  there  are  hundreds  of  poor 
little  waifs  in  the  city  to  whom  this  money  will  bring 
a  little  of  the  care  and  comfort  which  blesses  your 


TABLEAU  vi v ANT: 


125 


child.  As  for  myself,  this  is  all  the  reward  that  I 
wish  or  can  receive,"  and  she  stooped  and  kissed  the 
child  on  both  cheeks.  Then  taking  Van  Berg's  arm, 
she  gladly  escaped  to  the  cool  and  dusky  piazza. 

Mr.  Chints  looked  at  Mrs.  Chints  in  dismay.  Mrs. 
Chints  handed  the  baby  to  the  nurse,  and  beat  an 
undramatic  and  hasty  retreat,  her  husband  following 
in  a  dazed  sort  of  manner,  treading  on  her  train  at 
every  other  step. 

As  Van  Berg  passed  out  of  the  parlor,  he  saw  Ida 
Mayhevv  vanishing  from  its  farther  side,  with  Stanton 
in  close  pursuit.  When  Miss  Burton  ended  the  dis 
agreeable  affair  by  kissing  the  child,  there  had  been 
a  slight  murmur  of  applause.  Significant  smiles  and 
a  rising  hum  of  voices  descanting  on  the  affair  in  a 
way  not  at  all  complimentary  to  the  crestfallen  Chints 
family,  followed  the  disappearances  of  all  the  actors 
in  the  unexpected  scene. 


126  <*   FACE   ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

MISS   MAYHEW   IS   PUZZLED. 

MISS  BURTON,"  said  Van  Berg,  as  soon  as  they 
were  alone,  "  I  wish  I  could  have  saved  you 
from  this  disagreeable  experience.  I  tried  to  do  so, 
but  was  not  quick  enough.  I  much  blame  my  slow 
wits  that  I  was  not  more  prompt." 

"  I  wish  it  might  have  been  prevented,"  she  replied, 
"  for  their  sakes  as  well  as  my  own." 

"  I  have  no  compunctions  on  their  account  what 
ever,"  said  Van  Berg,  "  and  feel  that  you  let  them  off 
much  too  kindly.  I  think,  however,  that  they  and 
all  others  here  will  understand  you  much  better  here 
after.  I  cannot  too  strongly  express  to  you  how 
thoroughly  our  brief  acquaintance  has  taught  me  to 
respect  you,  and  if  you  will  permit  me  to  give  an 
earnest  meaning  to  Mr.  Burleigh's  jesting  offer  to 
share  with  me  the  responsibility  of  your  care,  I  will 
esteem  it  an  honor." 

"  I  sincerely  thank  you,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  and  should 
I  ever  need  the  services  of  a  gentleman," — she  laid 
slight  emphasis  upon  the  term — "  I  shall,  without  any 
hesitancy,  turn  to  you.  But  I  have  long  since  learned 
to  be  my  own  protectress,  as,  after  all,  one  must  be, 
situated  as  I  am." 


MISS  MA  YJIE IV  IS  PUZZLED. 


127 


"You  seem  to  have  the  ability,  not  only  to  take 
care  of  yourself,  but  of  others,  Miss  Burton.  Never 
theless  I  shall,  with  your  permission,  establish  a  sort 
of  protectorate  over  you  which  shall  be  exceedingly 
unobtrusive  and  undemonstrative,  and  not  in  the  least 
like  that  which  some  powers  make  the  excuse  for 
exactions,  until  the  protected  party  is  ready  to  cry 
out  in  desperation  to  be  delivered  from  its  friends. 
I  hesitated  too  long  this  evening  from  the  fear  of 
being,  forward  ;  and  yet  I  did  not  know  what  was 
coming,  and  had  learned  only  accidentally  but  a  few 
moments  before  that  anything  was  coming." 

"Well,"  replied  Miss  Burton  with  a  slight  laugh, 
"  it's  a  comfortable  thought  that  there's  a  fort  near, 
to  which  one  can  run  should  an  enemy  appear  ;  and 
a  pleasanter  thought  still,  that  the  fort  is  strong  and 
stanch.  But,  to  change  the  figure,  I  have  a  great 
fancy  for  paddling  my  own  light  canoe,  and  such 
small  craft  will  often  float,  you  know,  where  a  ship 
of  the  line  would  strike." 

"  I  will  admit,  Miss  Burton,  that  ships  of  the  line 
are  often  unwieldy  and  clumsily  deep  in  the  water; 
but  if  you  ever  do  need  a  gunboat  with  a  howitzer  or 
two  on  deck,  may  I  hope  to  be  summoned  ?  " 

"  I  could  ask  for  no  better  champion.  I  fairly 
tremble  at  the  broadside  that  would  follow." 

"  Are  you  thinking  of  the  discharge  or  the  recoil  ?  " 

"Both  might  involve  danger,"  said  Miss  Burton, 
laughing  ;  "  but  I  have  concluded  to  keep  on  your 
side  through  such  wars  as  may  rage  at  the  Lake 
House  during  my  sojourn.  I  cannot  help  thinking 
of  poor  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Chints.  I  feel  almost  as  sorry 


128  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

for  sucn  people  as  I  do  for  the  blind  and  deaf.  They 
seem  to  lack  a  certain  sense  which,  if  possessed,  would 
teach  them  to  avoid  such  scenes." 

"  I  detest  such  people  and  like  to  snub  them  un 
mercifully,"  said  Van  Berg,  heartily. 

"That  may  be  in  accordance  with  a  gunboat  char 
acter  ;  but  is  it  knightly  ?  " 

"Why  not?  What  does  snobbishness  and  rich 
vulgarity  deserve  at  any  man's  hands  ?  " 

"  Nothing  but  sturdy  blows.  But  what  do. weak, 
imperfect,  half-educated  men  and  women,  who  have 
never  had  a  tithe  of  your  advantages,  need  at  your 
hands  ?  Can  we  not  condemn  faults,  and  at  the  same 
time  pity  and  help  the  faulty  ?  The  gunboat  sends 
its  shot  crashing  too  much  at  random.  It  seems  to 
me  that  true  knighthood  would  spare  weakness  of 
any  kind." 

"  I'm  glad  you  have  not  spared  mine.  You  have 
demolished  me  as  a  gunboat,  but  I  would  fain  be 
your  knight." 

"  It  is  Mrs.  Chints  who  needs  a  knight  at  present, 
and  not  I.  It  troubles  me  to  think  of  her  worriment 
over  this  foolish  little  episode,  and  with  your  per 
mission  I  will  go  and  try  to  banish  the  cloud." 

As  she  turned  she  was  intercepted  by  Stanton,  who 
said  : 

"  Miss  Burton,  let  me  present  to  you  my  cousin, 
Miss  Mayhew." 

A  ray  from  a  parlor  lamp  fell  upon  Ida's  face,  and 
Van  Berg  saw  at  once  that  it  was  clouded  and  un- 
amiable  in  its  expression.  Stanton  had  evidently 
been  reproaching  her  severely. 


MISS  MAYffEW  IS  PUZZLED. 


129 


Miss  Burton  held  out  her  hand  cordially  and  said  ; 
"  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  maintaining  the  credit  of 
our  sex  this  morning.  These  superior  men  are  so 
fond  of  portraying  us  as  hysterical,  clinging  creatures 
whose  only  instinct  in  peril  is  to  throw  themselves  on 
man's  protection,  that  I  always  feel  a  little  exultation 
when  one  of  the  "  weaker  and  gentler  sex,"  as  we 
are  termed,  show  the  courage  and  presence  of  mind 
which  they  coolly  appropriate  as  masculine  quali 
ties." 

"  Are  you  an  advocate  of  woman's  rights,  Miss 
Burton  ?  "  asked  Miss  Mayhew,  stung  by  the  uncon 
scious  sarcasm  of  the  lady's  words,  to  reply  in  al 
most  as  resentful  a  manner  as  if  a  wound  had  been 
intended. 

"  Not  of  woman's,  particularly,"  was  the  quiet 
answer  ;  "I  would  be  glad  if  every  one  had  their 
rights." 

"  Your  philanthropy  is  very  wide,  certainly." 

"And  therefore  very  thin,  perhaps  you  think, 
since  it  covers  so  much  ground.  I  agree  with  you, 
Miss  Mayhew,  that  general  good-will  is  as  cold  and 
thin  as  moonshine.  One  ray  of  sunlight  that  warms 
some  particular  thing  into  life  is  worth  it  all." 

"  Indeed  !  I  think  I  prefer  moonlight." 

"  There  are  certain  absorbing  avocations  in  life  to 
which  moonshine  is  better  adapted  than  sunlight,  is 
probably  the  thought  in  my  cousin's  mind,"  said 
Stanton,  satirically. 

"  And  what  are  they  ?  "  asked  Miss  Burton. 

"  Flirtation,  for  instance." 

"  My   cousin   is  speaking   for   himself,"   said   Ida, 
6* 


130  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

acidly;  "  and  knows  better  what  is  in  his  own  mind 
than  in  mine." 

"  If  some  ladies  themselves  never  know  their  own 
minds,  how  can  another  know  ?  "  Stanton  retorted. 

"Well,"  said  Miss  Burton,  with  a  laugh,  "  if  we 
accept  a  practical  philosophy  much  in  vogue — that  of 
taking  the  world  as  we  find  it — flirting  is  one  of  the 
commonest  pursuits  of  mankind." 

"  I'm  quite  sure,  Miss  Burton,"  said  Van  Berg, 
"  that  your  philosophy  of  life  is  the  reverse  of  taking 
the  world  as  we  find  it." 

"Indeed,  you  are  mistaken,  sir ;  lam  exceeding 
prosaic  in  my  views,  and  cherish  no  Utopian  dreams 
and  theories.  I  do  indeed  take  the  old  matter-of-fact 
world  as  I  find  it,  and  try  to  make  the  best  of  it." 

"  Ah,  your  last  is  a  very  saving  clause.  Too  many 
are  seemingly  trying  to  make  the  worst  of  it,  and  un 
fortunately  they  succeed." 

Ida  here  shot  a  quick  and  vengeful  glance  at  the 
speaker. 

"  Please  do  not  present  me  as  a  general  reformer, 
Mr.  Van  Berg,"  protested  Miss  Burton,  with  a  light 
laugh  ;  •"  I  have  my  hands  full  in  mending  my  own 
ways." 

"  And  so  might  we  all,  no  doubt,"  said  Stanton; 
"  only  most  of  us  leave  our  ways  unmended.  But  I 
am  curious  to  know,  Miss  Burton,  how  you  would 
make  the  best  of  a  flirtation  ;  since  this  is  emphati 
cally  a  part  of  the  world  as  we  find  it,  especially  at  a 
summer  hotel." 

"  The  best  that  we  can  do  with  many  things  that 
exist,"  she  replied,  "  is  to  leave  them  alone.  Italy 


MISS   MAYIIE1Y  IS  PUZZLED.  j^r 

is  pre-eminently  the  land  of  garlic  and  of  art ;  but  for 
tunately  we  shall  not  find  it  necessary  to  indulge  in 
both  and  in  equal  proportions  when  we  are  so  happy 
as  to  go  abroad." 

"  A  great  many  people  prefer  the  garlic,"  said 
Stanton. 

"  Oh,  certainly,"  she  answered  ;  "  it's  a  matter 
of  taste." 

"  So  then  garlic  and  flirtation  are  corresponding 
terms  in  your  vocabulary  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  say  which  term  outranks  the  other,  but 
it  seems  to  me  that  if  a  woman  regards  her  love  as  a 
sacred  thing,  she  cannot  permit  an  indefinite  number 
of  commonplace  people  even  to  attempt  to  stain  it 
with  their  soiling  touch." 

"  I  think  gentlemen  show  just  as  much  of  a  dispo 
sition  to  flirt  as  ladies,"  said  Ida,  with  resentment  in 
her  tone. 

"  I  will  not  dispute  that  statement,"  replied  Miss 
Burton,  with  a  laugh  ;  "  indeed,  I'm  inclined  to  think 
they  are  very  human." 

"  Humane,  you  mean,"  interposed  Stanton.  "  Yes, 
I  often  wonder  at  our  patient  endurance." 

"  Which  shall  be  taxed  no  longer  to-night  by  me. 
Good-evening,  Miss  Mayhew.  Good-evening,  patient 
martyrs." 

"Humane,  indeed!"  said  Stanton.  "Are  you 
that  way  inclined,  Van  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  occasion  to  be  otherwise." 

"  Well,  I  feel  savage  enough  to  scalp  some  one." 

"  So  I  should  judge,"  remarked  Ida. 

"  Perhaps  then,  as  my  mood  contrasts  somewhat 


132 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


favorably  with  your  cousin's,  you  will  venture  to  walk 
with  me  for  awhile  ?  "  said  Van  Berg. 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  she  replied,  taking  his  arm,  "  there 
are  times  when  any  change  is  a  relief." 

"  I  cannot  be  very  greatly  elated  over  that  vie\v 
of  the  ca?e,  certainly,"  remarked  Van  Berg,  with  a 
laugh. 

She  did  not  reply  at  once,  but  after  a  moment 
said  :  "  I  suppose  you  regard  me  as  a  hopeless  case  at 
best." 

"  What  suggests  that  thought  to  you,  Miss  May- 
hew  ?  " 

"  You  are  not  so  dull  as  to  need  to  ask  that  ques 
tion,  and  you  only  ask  it  to  draw  me  out.  For  one 
thing,  you  probably  think  that  I  instigated  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Chints  to  act  as  they  did.  This  is  not  true." 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  hear  it." 

"  I'm  no  more  to  blame  than  Mr.  Burleigh  was  ; 
he  knew  about  it  as  well  as  I  did,  but  Mrs.  Chints 
was  bound  to  carry  out  her  project." 

"  Will  you  permit  a  suggestion  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  wish  to  insinuate  that  I  acted  like 
a  heathen,  instead  of  saying  that  I  am  one  plainly,  as 
does  Cousin  Ik  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  acted  a  little  thoughtlessly.  If  Miss 
Burton  had  been  in  your  place,  she  would  have  tried 
to  prevent  the  disagreeable  scene." 

"  Oh,  certainly  !  she  is  perfect." 

"  No  ;  she  is  kind." 

"  Would  it  be  possible  to  speak  upon  some  agree 
able  subject,  Mr.  Van  Berg?  I  have  had  enough 
mortifications  for  one  day." 


JI//SS  MAYHEW  IS  PUZZLED.  133 

He  was  puzzled.  What  topic  could  he  introduce 
that  would  interest  this  spoiled  and  petulant  beauty. 

He  touched  on  art,  but  she  was  only  artful  in  her 
small  way,  and  could  not  follow  him.  He  tried  lit 
erature,  and  here  they  had  even  less  in  common.  He 
would  not  and  indeed  could  not  read  the  thin  society 
novels  which  reflected  modes  of  life  as  trivial  as  her 
own,  and  his  books  might  have  been  written  in  an 
other  language,  so  slight  was  her  acquaintance  with 
them.  The  various  political,  social,  or  scientific 
questions  of  the  day  had  never  puzzled  her  brain. 
Van  Berg  cautiously  felt  his  way  towards  his  compan 
ion's  knowledge  of  two  or  three  of  the  most  popular 
of  them.  Her  answers,  however,  were  so  superficial 
and  irrelevant,  and  also  so  evidently  embarrassed, 
that  he  saw  his  only  resources  to  be  society  chit-chat, 
gossip  about  mutual  acquaintances,  the  latest  modes, 
the  attractions  of  pleasure  resorts  in  the  city,  and  of 
summer  resorts  in  the  country.  But  he  gave  his  mind 
to  these  unwonted  themes,  and  labored  hard  to  be 
entertaining  ;  for  now  that  he  had  gained  the  vantage- 
ground  he  sought,  he  was  determined  to  discover 
whether  there  was  a  sleeping  mind  or  a  vacuum  be 
hind  Miss  Mayhew's  shapely  forehead.  Granting 
that  there  was  a  womanly  intelligence  there,  as  yet 
unquickened,  he  was  not  so  irrational  as  to  imagine 
he  could  jostle  it  into  illumining  activity  in  one  short 
hour,  or  day,  or  week.  But  it  seemed  to  him  that  if 
any  mind  existed  worth  the  name,  it  would  give  such 
encouraging  signs  of  life  before  many  days  passed  as 
would  promise  success  to  his  experiment.  He  felt 
that  his  first  aim  must  be  to  establish  an  intimacy 


!34  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

that  would  permit  as  full  and  frank  an  exchange  of 
thought  as  was  possible  between  people  so  dissimi 
lar. 

While  he  tried  to  bring  himself  down  to  the  little 
ness  of  her  daily  life,  he  determined  to  show  his  dis 
approval  of  every  phase  of  its  meanness  as  far  as  he 
could  without  offending  her.  He  had  made  her  feel 
that  he  condemned  her  course  towards  Miss  Burton 
that  evening,  and  he  had  meant  to  do  so. 

She  resented  this  disapproval,  and  at  the  same  time 
respected  him  for  it.  Indeed  he  puzzled  her.  He 
evidently  sought  and  wished  for  her  society,  and  yet 
as  they  walked  back  and  forth,  even  though  she  did 
not  look  at  him  when  the  light  gave  her  the  opportu 
nity  to  do  so,  she  felt  intuitively  that  he  did  not  enjoy 
her  company.  She  saw  that  he  was  laboring  hard  to 
make  himself  agreeable  ;  but  his  small  talk  had  not 
the  familiar  flippancy  and  fluency  of  one  speaking  in 
his  native  tongue;  nor  was  his  manner  that  of  one 
who,  infatuated  with  her  beauty,  had  thrown  aside  all 
other  considerations. 

She  felt  that  the  man  at  her  side  measured  her,  and 
understood  her  littleness  thoroughly. 

And  she  herself  had  a  growing  consciousness  of 
insignificance  that  was  as  pai»ful  as  it  was  novel. 
Added  to  all  the  humiliations  of  this  day  here  was  a 
man,  not  so  very  much  older  than  herself,  trying  to 
come  down  to  her  level,  as  he  would  accommodate 
his  language  to  a  child.  No  labored  argument  could 
have  revealed  her  ignorance  to  her  so  clearly  as  her 
conscious  inability  to  follow  him  into  his  ordinary 
,-ange  of  thought.  Unwittingly  he  had  demonstrated 


MISS  MAYHEW  IS  PUZZLED. 


135 


his  superiority  in  a  way  that  she  could  not  deny, 
however  much  she  might  be  inclined  to  resent  it. 
And  yet  he  treated  her  with  a  sort  of  respect,  and 
occasionally  she  saw  that  he  bent  his  eyes  upon  her 
face  as  if  in  search  of  something. 

After  a  transient  effort  to  ignore  everything  and 
talk  in  her  usual  superficial  manner,  she  became  more 
and  more  silent  and  oppressed,  and  at  last  said,  some 
what  abruptly : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  am  weary,  and  I  imagine  you 
are  too.  I  think  I  will  say  good-night." 

"  I  scarcely  wonder  that  you  are  fatigued.  You 
have  had  a  trying  day." 

"  It  has  been  a  horrid- day,"  she  said,  emphatically. 

"  It  might  have  ended  much  worse,  nevertheless." 

"  Possibly,"  she  admitted  with  a  shrug. 

"  You  have  more  reason  to  congratulate  yourself 
than  you  imagine,  Miss  Mayhew.  Even  that  dis 
agreeable  souvenir*  of  our  morning  peril,  your  lame 
ness,  has  disappeared,  and  you  might  have  been 
maimed  for  life." 

"  My  lameness,  like  my  courage,  was  chiefly  a 
fraud  to  begin  with,  and  soon  disappeared  ;  but  I 
have  other  soHivenirs  of  that  occasion  that  I  cannot 
get  rid  of  so  easily." 

"  If  I  am  one  of  them,  you  are  right,  Miss  May- 
hew  ;  I  shall  hold  you  to  our  agreement  this  morn 
ing.  You  put  me  on  my  good  behavior — have  I  not 
behaved  well  ?  " 

li  Yes,  better  than  I  have.  I  was  not  referring  to 
you  personally,  but  to  certain  memories." 

"  We  agreed  to  let  by-gones  be  by-gones." 


136  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  But  others  are  not  parties  to  this  agreement,  and 
every  reference  to  the  affair  is  odious  to  me." 

"  I  shall  make  no  further  reference  to  it,  and  you 
must  be  fair  enough  not  to  punish  me  for  the  acts  of 
others." 

"  You  also  despise  me  in  your  heart  for  my  course 
towards  Miss  Burton  this  evening." 

"  If  I  despised  you  would  I  have  sought  your  so 
ciety  this^vening?  " 

'*  I  do  not  know.  I  don't  understand  you,  if  you 
will  permit  my  bluntness." 

"  Possibly  you  don't  understand  yourself,  Miss 
Mayhew." 

"  I  understand  that  I  have  had  a  miserable  day, 
and  I  hope  I  may  never  see  another  like  it.  Good 
night,  sir." 


NATURE'S  BROKEN  PROMISE. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

NATURE'S  BROKEN  PROMISE. 

VAN  BERG  had  been  left  to  himself  but  a  little 
time   before   Stanton  and   Mr.  Burleigh  came 
out  upon  the  piazza,   and  the  three    gentlemen  sat 
down  for  a  quiet  chat. 

"  Well,"  remarked  mine  host,  with  a  sigh  of  relief 
such  as  a  pilot  might  heave  after  taking  his  ship 
round  a  perilous  point ;  "  well,  thanks  to  Miss  Bur 
ton's  good  sense,  the  affair  has  ended  without  any 
trouble.  In  a  house  like  this,  '  Satan  is  finding  mis 
chief  still '  whenever  my  back  is  turned,  and  some 
times  he  threatens  to  get  up  a  row  right  under  my 
nose,  as  in  this  instance.  I  was  a  '  blarsted  fool,'  as 
our  English  friends  have  it,  not  to  know  that  Mrs. 
Chints's  drama,  although  beginning  in  comedy,  might 
end  in  the  tragedy  of  my  losing  some  good  paying 
boarders  ;  still  further  did  I  demonstrate  the  length 
of  my  ears  by  even  imagining  it  possible  that  Miss 
Burton  would  take  five  hundred,  or  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars  in  any  such  circumstances.  But  the 
whole  thing  was  done  in  a  jiffy,  and  JMrs.  Chints  was 
possessed  to  have  her  '  tableau  vivant. '  Lively  picture 
wasn't  it?  Still,  if  Miss  Mayhew,  when  appealed  to 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

by  Mrs.  Chints,  had  confirmed  my  doubts,  I  would 
have  tried  to  stop  the  nonsense  at  any  cost." 

"Did  Miss  Mayhew  advise  the  step  ?"  asked 
Stanton. 

"Oh,  no!  She  was  non-committal.  She  acted 
as  if  it  were  none  of  her  affair,  save  as  it  might  afford 
her  a  little  amusement.  But  these  rows  are  no  light 
matters  to  us  poor  publicans,  who  must  please  every 
one  and  keep  the  whole  menagerie  in  order.  Mr. 
Chints  was  swearing  up  and  down  his  room  that  he 
had  been  made  a  fool  of.  Mrs.  Chints  was  for  leav 
ing  to-morrow  morning,  declaring  that  she  would  not 
endure  such  airs  from  a  school-teacher.  They  are 
rich  and  have  a  number  of  friends  who  are  coming 
soon,  and  so  my  mind  was  full  of  *  strange  oaths  '  also, 
at  my  prospective  loss,  when  this  blessed  little 
woman  appears,  taps  at  their  door,  enters  like  the 
angel  into  the  lion's  den,  and  shuts  their  mouths  by 
some  magic  all  her  own.  And  now  they're  going  to 
stay ;  Mr.  Chints  will  give  the  five  hundred  to  the 
Children's  Aid  Society,  all  is  serene  and  I'm  happy, 
so  much  so  that  I'll  smoke  another  of  your  good  ci 
gars,  Mr.  Stanton." 

"  Certainly,  half-a-dozen  if  you  wish.  How  do 
you  imagine  she  quieted  the  unruly  beasts  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  she  got  around  them  through  the 
child — somewhat  as  she  won  over  my  wife  this  after 
noon  by  means  of  our  cross  baby.  It's  teething,  you 
know — and  yet  how  should  you  young  chaps  know 
anything  about  babies  !  No  matter,  your  time  will 
come.  This  promenading  the  piazza,  with  lovely 
creatures  who  have  been  half  the  afternoon  at  their 


NATURES  BROKEN  PREMISE. 

t  jilets  is  all  very  nice  ;  but  wait  till  you  have  weath 
ered  innumerable  squalls  in  the  dead  of  night — then 
you'll  learn  that  teething-time  in  a  household  is  like 
going  around  Cape  Horn.  Well,  to  return  from 
your  future  to  my  present.  When  so  good-natured 
a  man  as  I  am  gets  into  a  sympathetic  mood  with  old 
King  Herod,  you  can  imagine  what  a  state  the 
mother's  nerves  must  be  in  who  has  to  stand  it  night 
and  day.  But  as  Miss  Burton  had  been  commended 
to  my  care,  I  felt  that  I  was  in  duty  bound  to  intro 
duce  her  to  my  wife  and  show  her  some  attention. 
So  I  said  to  my  wife,  this  afternoon,  '  I'm  going  to 
bring  a  young  lady  in  to  see  you.'  '  Do  you  think 
I'm  in  a  condition  to  entertain  company  ?  '  she 
asked,  with  a  faint  suggestion  of  hard  cider  in  her 
tone.  '  Well,  my  dear,'  I  expostulated,  '  it  was  just 
the  same  yesterday,  and  will  be  a  little  more  so  to 
morrow,  and  I  feel  that  I  shall  be  remiss  if  I  delay 
any  longer.'  '  Oh,  very  well,'  she  said,  as  if  it  were 
a  tooth  that  must  come  out  sooner  or  later,  '  since 
the  matter  must  be  attended  to,  let  us  have  it  over  at 
once.'  But  bless  you,  it  wasn't  over  till  supper-time. 
As  I  brought  the  young  lady  in,  the  baby  waked  out 
of  a  five-minutes'  nap  that  had  cost  about  an  hour's 
rocking,  and  I  thought  the  roof  would  come  off.  My 
wife  looked  cross  and  worried — well,  it  was  prose, 
gentlemen,  prose — not  the  poetry  of  life  ;  and  I  said 
to  myself,  '  I  suppose  I  have  about  made  it  certain 
that  this  young  woman  will  live  and  die  an  old  maid 
by  giving  her  this  glimpse  behind  the  scenes.  I 
thought  the  ladies  could  get  on  better  without  me 
than  with  me,  so  I  bowed  myself  out,  glad  to  escape 


140  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

the  din  ;  and  I  supposed  Miss  Burton  would  say  a 
few  pleasant  things  in  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Burleigh, 
which  she,  poor  woman,  might  not  be  able  to  hear, 
and  then  she  would  bow  herself  out,  also  glad  to 
escape.  An  hour  and  a  half  later  I  went  back  to  see 
if  I  could  not  coax  my  wife  away  for  a  drive,  and 
what  do  you  suppose  I  saw  ?  " 

"  The  baby  in  convulsions,"  said  Stanton. 

"  Give  it  up,"  added  Van  Berg. 

"Sweet  transformation  scene;  deep  hush;  my 
wife  asleep  in  her  rocking-chair,  the  baby  asleep  in 
the  arms  of  Miss  Burton,  who  held  up  a  warning  fin 
ger  at  me  to  be  quiet.  But  the  mischief  was  done  ; 
my  wife  started  up  and  was  mortified  beyond  measure 
that  she  had  treated  her  guest  so  rudely.  The  good 
fairy,  however,  was  so  genuinely  delighted  that  she 
had  quieted  the  baby  and  given  the  tired  mother  a 
little  rest,  that  we  had  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
she  found  pleasure  in  ways  that  are  a  trifle  uncom 
mon.  By  some  miracle  or  other  she  kept  the  baby 
asleep,  and  then  my  wife  and  I  tried  to  entertain  her 
a  little,  but  we  were  the  ones  that  were  entertained. 
Before  we  knew  it,  the  supper-bell  rang,  and  then 
I'm  blessed  if  the  little  chap  didn't  wake  up  and  grin 
at  us  all.  To  think  then  that  I  should  reward  her  by 
letting  Mr.  Chints  slap  her  in  the  face  with  a  five- 
hundred-dollar  check  !  I  guess  we'll  all  know  better 
next  time." 

"  Did  she  tell  you  anything  further  about  her  his 
tory  or  her  connections  ?  "  asked  Stanton. 

Mr.  Burleigh  stroked  his  beard  and  looked  rather 
blank  for  a  moment. 


NATL7R&S  BROKEN  PROMISE.  j^ 

"Now  I  think  of  it,"  he  ejaculated,  "  I  be  hanged 
if  she  said  a  word  about  herself.  And  now  I  think 
further  of  it,  she  somehow  or  other  got  Mrs.  Bur- 
leigh  and  myself  a-talking,  and  seemed  so  interested 
in  us  and  what  we  said,  that  I  be  hanged  again  if  we 
didn't  tell  her  all  we  know  about  ourselves." 

"  She  impresses  every  one  as  being  remarkably 
frank,  and  yet  I  think  it  will  be  found  that  she  is 
peculiarly  reticent  in  regard  to  herself,"  remarked 
Van  Berg  musingly.  "  Well,  it's  not  often  I  take 
people  on  trust,  but  I  have  given  this  lady  my  entire 
respect  and  confidence." 

"  I  assure  you  that  there  is  no  trust  in  this  busi 
ness,"  said  Mr.  Burleigh,  emphatically.  "I  can't 
afford  to  indulge  in  sentiment,  gentlemen  ;  besides,  it 
wouldn't  be  any  more  becoming  in  me  than  in  Tom 
Chints.  I  wouldn't  take  an  unprotected,  unknown 
female  into  my  house  if  she  came  with  a  pair  of 
wings.  But  Miss  Burton  brings  letters  that  establish 
her  character  as  a  lady  as  truly  as  that  of  any  other 
woman  in  the  house.  I  ought  to  have  prevented 
this  Chints  business,  but  then  five  hundred  is  a  nice 
little  plum,  and  before  I  pulled  my  slow  wits  together 
the  thing  was  done." 

"  By  the  way,  Mr.  Burleigh,"  remarked  Stanton,  "  I 
hear  that  the  parties  who  are  now  at  my  friend  Van 
Berg's  table  are  soon  to  leave  for  the  sea-shore.  Can 
you  give  me  three  seats  there  after  their  departure  ?  " 

"  Certainly  ;  put  you  down  right  alongside  of  Miss 
Burton." 

"  Perhaps  Van  Berg  feels  that  he  has  the  first 
claim  to  §Q  good  a  position  ?  " 


142  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  No,  Stanton,  I  shall  not  place  a  straw  in  your 
way." 

"  You  never  were  a  man  of  straw,  Van.  If  I  were 
seeking  more  than  to  enjoy  the  society  of  this  young 
lady,  who  seems  to  be  embodied  sunshine,  I  would 
be  sorry  to  have  you  place  yourself  in  the  way." 

"  Sunshine  brought  to  a  focus  kindles  even  green 
wood,"  remarked  Van  Berg,  with  a  significant  nod  at 
his  friend. 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Burleigh,  rising,  "  if  I  had  not 
found  my  mate,  I'd  be  a  burr  that  that  little  woman 
wouldn't  get  rid  of  very  easily.  Good-night,  gen 
tlemen.  I'll  give  either  one  of  you  my  blessing." 

11  Good-night,  Van,"  said  Stanton,  also.  "  I'm 
not  going  to  stay  and  listen  to  your  absurd  predic 
tions.  Neither  shall  I  permit  you  to  enjoy  all  by 
yourself  the  delicate  wine  of  that  woman's  wit. 
When  good  things  are  passing  round,  I  propose  to 
have  my  share.  My  presence  can't  hurt  your  pros 
pects." 

"  And  if  it  did,  Ik,  do  you  think  me  such  a  churl 
as  to  try  to  crowd  you  away  ?  " 

"  That's  magnanimous.  I  suppose  you  and  my 
cousin  can  manage  to  keep  the  peace  between  you." 

"  I  think  the  change  will  be  far  more  disagreeable 
to  Miss  Mayhew  than  to  me." 

"  You  are  very  polite  to  say  so.     Good-night." 

"Well,"  mused  Van  Berg,  when  left  to  himself; 
"  I've  made  progress  to-day  after  a  fashion.  We 
have  been  quite  thoroughly  introduced — in  fact 
*  thrown  together,'  as  fate  and  all  her  friends  will 
have  it.  I  might  have  been  weeks  in  gaining  as 


NATUK&S  BROKEN1  PROMISE.  j^ 

much  insight  into  her  character  as  circumstances 
have  given  me  in  a  few  brief  hours.  But  what  a 
miserable  revelation  she  has  made  of  herself — cow 
ardice  this  morning — fraud  this  afternoon,  and  cold 
selfishness,  that  can  amuse  itself  with  the  mortifica 
tions  and  misfortunes  of  others,  this  evening.  This 
is  the  moral  side  of  the  picture.  But  when  I  came 
to  *  speer '  around  -to  see  whether  she  had  any  mind 
or  real  culture,  the  exhibition  was  still  more  pitiable. 
Ye  gods  !  that  a  girl  can  live  to  her  age  and  know  so 
little  that  is"  worth  knowing  !  She  knows  how  to 
dress — that  is,  how  to  enhance  her  physical  beauty  ; 
and  that,  I  admit,  is  a  great  deal.  As  far  as  it  goes 
it  is  well.  But  of  the  taste  of  a  beautiful  and,  at  the 
same  time,  intellectual  and  highly  cultivated  woman, 
she  has  no  conception  ;  with  her  it  is  a  question  of 
flesh  and  blood  only." 

"  I  wonder  if  it  will  ever  be  otherwise  ?  I  wonder 
if  her  marvellous  beauty,  which  is  now  like  a  budding 
rose,  that  partly  conceals  the  worm  in  its  heart,  will 
soon,  like  the  overblown  flower,  reveal  so  clearly 
what  mars  its  life  that  scarcely  anything  else  will  be 
noticed.  What  a  fate  for  a  man  —  to  be  tied  for 
life  to  a  woman  who' will,  with  sure  gradation,  pass 
from  at  least  outward  beauty  to  utter  hideousness  ! 
Beauty,  in  a  case  like  this,  is  but  a  mask  which  time 
or  the  loathsome  fingers  of  disease  would  surely  strip 
off;  and  then  what  an  object  would  confront  the  dis 
enchanted  lover  !  It  would  be  like  marrying  a  dis 
guised  death's-head.  Never  before  did  I  realize  how 
essential  is  mental  and  moral  culture  to  give  value  to 
mere  external  beauty. 


144  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  And  yet  she  seems  to  have  a  kind  of  quickness 
and  aptness.  She  is  not  wanting  in  womanly  intui 
tion.  I  still  am  inclined  to  believe  she  has  been 
dwarfed  by  circumstances  and  her  wretched  associa 
tions.  Her  mind  has  been  given  no  better  means  of 
development  than  the  knowledge  of  her  beauty,  the 
general  and  superficial  homage  that  it  always  re 
ceives,  the  little  round  of  thought  that  centres  about 
self,  and  the  daily  question  of  dress.  That's  nar 
rowing  the  world  down  to  a  cage  large  enough  only 
for  a  poll-parrot.  If  the  bird  within  has  a  parrot's 
nature,  what  is  the  use  of  opening  the  door  and  show 
ing  it  larks  singing  in  the  sky  ?  I  fear  that's  what  I'm 
trying  to  do,  and  that  I  shall  go  back  to  my  fall  work 
with  a  meagre  portfolio  and  a  grudge  against  nature, 
for  mocking  me  with  the  fairest  broken  promise  ever 
made." 


A   REVELATION.  145 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

A   REVELATION. 

THE  next  day  threatened  to  be  a  dreary  one,  for 
the  rain  fell  so  steadily  as  to  make  all  sunny, 
out-of-door  pleasures  impossible.  Many  looked 
abroad  with  faces  as  dismal  and  cloudy  as  the  sky  ; 
for  the  number  of  those  who  rise  above  their  circum 
stances  with  a  cheery  courage  are  but  few.  Human 
faces  can  shine,  although  the  sun  be  clouded  ;  but,  as 
a  rule,  the  shadow  falls  on  the  face  also,  and  the 
regal  spirit  succumbs  like  a  clod  of  earth. 

The  people  came  straggling  down  late  to  breakfast 
in  the  dark  morning,  and,  with  a  childish  egotism  that 
considers  only  self  and  immediate  desires,  the  lower 
ing  weather  which  meant  renewed  beauty  and  wealth 
to  all  the  land,  was  berated  as  if  it  were  a  small  spite 
against  the  handful  of  people  at  the  Lake  House. 
Van  Berg  heard  Ida  Mayhew  exclaiming  against  the 
clouds  as  if  this  spite  were  aimed  at  herself  only. 

"  Some  of  her  friends  might  not  venture  from  the 
city,"  she  said. 

"  The  youths  are  not  venturesome,  then,"  remarked 
Stanton,  who  never  lost  an  opportunity  to  tease. 

"  Of  course  they  don't  wish  to  get  wet,"  she 
pouted. 

7 


146  *  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  And  yet  I'll  wager  any  amount  that  they  are  not 
of  the  '  salt  of  the  earth  '  in  any  scriptural  sense.  Well, 
they  had  better  stay  in  town,  for  this  would  be  an 
instance  of  *  much  ventured,  nothing  gained.  '  " 

"  You  remind  me  of  a  certain  fox  who  could  not 
say  enough  hard  things  about  the  grapes  that  were 
out  of  reach.  But  mark  my  words,  Mr.  Sibley  will 
come,  if  it  pours." 

"  He  wouldn't  risk  the  spoiling  of  his  clothes  for 
any  woman  living." 

"  You  judge  him  by  yourself.  Oh,  dear,  how  shall 
I  get  through  this  long,  horrible  day  !  You  men  can 
smoke  like  bad  chimneys  through  a  storm,  but  for 
me  there  is  no  resource  to-day,  but  a  dull  novel  that 
I've  read  once  before.  Let  me  see,  I'll  read  an  hour 
and  sleep  three,  and  then  it  will  be  time  to  dress  for 
dinner.  Oh,  good-morning,  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she 
said  to  the  artist  who  had  been  listening  to  her  while 
apparently  giving  close  attention  to  Mrs.  Mayhew's 
interminable  tirade  against  rainy  days  ;  "  I  have  just 
been  envying  you  gentlemen  who  can  kill  stupid  hours 
by  smoking." 

"  I  admit  that  it  is  almost  as  bad  as  sleeping." 

"  I  see  that  you  have  a  homily  prepared  on  improv 
ing  the  time,  so  I  shall  escape  at  once." 

On  the  stairs  she  met  Miss  Burton,  who  was  de 
scending  with  a  breezy  swiftness  as  if  she  were  making 
a  charge  on  the  general  gloom  and  sullenness  of  the 
day. 

"  Good-morning,  Miss  Mayhew,"  she  said;  "  I'm 
glad  to  see  you  looking  so  well  after  the  severe  shak 
ing  up  you  had  yesterday.  You  would  almost  tempt 


A    REVELATION.  \^j 

one  to  believe  that  rough  usage  is  sometimes  good 
for  us." 

"  I  have  no  such  belief,  I  assure  you.  Yesterday 
was  bad  enough,  but  to-day  promises  to  be  worse. 
I  was  going  to  make  up  a  boating  party,  but  what 
can  one  do  when  the  water  is  overhead  instead  of 
under  the  keel  ?  " 

"  Scores  of  things,"  was  the  cheery  reply.  "  I'm 
going  to  have  a  good  time." 

"  I'm  going  to  sleep,"  said  Ida,  passing  on. 

"Miss  Burton,"  said  Stanton,  joining  her  at  the 
foot  of  the  stairs,  "  I  perceive,  even  from  your 
manner  of  descending  to  our  lower  world,  that  you 
are  destined  to  vanquish  the  dulness  of  this  rain^ 
day.  Don't  you  wish  an  ally  ?" 

"Would  you  be  an  ally,  Mr.  Stanton,  if  you  saw 
I  was  destined  to  be  vanquished  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  would." 

"Look  in  the  parlor  then.  There  are  at  least  a 
dozen  ladies  already  vanquished.  They  are  oppressed 
by  the  foul-fiend,  ennui.  Transfer  your  chivalric 
offer  to  them  and  deliver  them." 

"  Stanton,"  laughed  Van  Berg,  "  you  are  in  honor 
bound  to  devote  yourself  to  those  oppressed  ladies." 

"The  prospect  is  so  dark  and  depressing  that  I 
shall  at  least  cheer  myself  first  with  the  light  of  a 
cigar." 

"  And  so  your  chivalry  will  end  in  smoke,"  she  said. 

"  Yes,  Miss  Burton,  the  smoke  of  battle,  where  you 
are  concerned." 

"  I  fear  your  wit  is  readier  than  your  sword.  The 
soldier  that  boasts  how  he  would  overwhelm  some 


I48  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

other  foe  than  the  one  before  him  loses  credit  to  tne 
degree  that  he  protests." 

"You  are  more  exacting,  Miss  Burton,  than  the 
lady  who  threw  her  glove  down  among  the  lions. 
What  chance  would  Hercules  himself  have  of  lifting 
those  twelve  heavy  females  out  of  the  dumps  ?  " 

"  It's  not  what  we  do,  but  what  we  attempt,  that 
shows  our  spirit." 

"Then  I  shall  expect  to  see  you  attempt  great 
things." 

"  I'm  only  a  woman." 

"  And  I'm  only  a  man." 

"  Only  a  man  !  what  greater  vantage-ground  could 
one  have  than  to  be  a  man  ?  " 

"The  advantage  is  not  so  uncommon  that  one 
need  be  unduly  elated,"  said  Stanton  with  a  shrug. 
"  I  forget  how  many  hundred  millions  of  us  there 
are.  But  I'm  curious  to  see  how  you  will  set  about 
rendering  the  hues  of  this  leaden  day  prismatic." 

"  Only  by  being  the  innocent  cause  of  your  highly 
colored  language,  I  imagine." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  exclaimed  a  little  boy  petulantly,  as 
he  strolled  through  the  hall  and  looked  out  at  the 
steady  downfall  of  rain.  "  Oh  dear  !  Why  can't  it 
stop  raining  ?" 

"  There's  the  philosophy  of  our  time  for  you  in  a 
nutshell,"  said  Van  Berg.  "When  a  human  atom 
wants  anything,  what  business  has  the  universe  to 
stand  in  its  way  ?  " 

"  But  have  you  no  better  philosophy  to  offer  the 
disconsolate  little  fellow,  Mr.  Van  Berg?"  Miss 
Burton  asked. 


A    REVELATION.  \^g 

"  Now,  Van,  it's  your  turn.  Remember,  Miss  Bur 
ton,  he  has  the  same  vantage-ground  that  I  have. 
Indeed  he's  half  an  inch  taller." 

"The  world  long  ago  learned  better  than  to  meas 
ure  men  by  inches,  Mr.  Stanton." 

"  Alas,  Miss  Burton,"  said  Van  Berg  ;  "  the  best 
philosophy  I  have  is  this  :  when  it  rains,  let  it  rain." 

"  And  thus  I'm  privileged  to  meet  representatives 
of  those  two  ancient  and  honorable  schools,  the  Stoic 
and  Epicurean,  and  you  both  think,  I  fear,  that  if 
Xanthippe  had  founded  a  school,  my  philosophy 
would  also  be  defined.  But  perhaps  you  will  think 
better  of  me  if  I  tell  that  little  fellow  a  story  to  pass 
the  time  for  him.  What's  the  matter,  little  folk  ?" 
she  asked,  for  two  or  three  more  small  clouded  faces 
had  gathered  at  the  door. 

"  Matter  enough,"  said  the  boy.  "  This  horrid  old 
rain  keeps  us  in  the  house,  where  we  can't  do  anything 
or  stay  anywhere.  We  mustn't  play  in  the  parlor, 
we  mustn't  make  a  noise  in  the  halls,  we  mustn't  run 
on  the  piazzas.  I'd  like  to  live  in  a  world  where 
there  was  some  place  for  boys." 

"  Poor  child,"  said  Miss  Burton  ;  "  this  rain  is  as 
bad  for  you  as  the  deluge  to  Noah's  dove,  it  has  left 
you  no  refuge  for  the  sole  of  your  foot.  Will  you 
come  with  me  ?  No  one  has  said  you  must  not  hear 
a  jolly  story." 

"  You  won't  tell  me  about  any  good  little  boys 
who  died  when  they  were  as  big  as  I  am  ?  " 

"  I'll  keep  my  word — it  shall  be  a  jolly  story." 

"  May  we  hear  it  too  ?  "  asked  the  other  children. 

"Yes,  all  of  you." 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

4 'Where  shall  we  go?" 

"  We  won't  disturb  anyone  in  the  far  corner  of  the 
parlor  by  the  piano.  If  you  know  of  any  other  little 
people,  you  can  bring  them  there,  too,"  and  they 
each  darted  of  in  the  search  of  especial  cronies. 

"  May  we  not  hear  the  story  also  ?  "  asked  Stanton. 

"  No,  indeed,  I  may  be  able  to  interest  children, 
but  not  philosophers." 

"  Then  we  will  go  and  meditate,"  said  Van  Berg. 

"  Yes,"  she  added,  "  and  in  accordance  with  a  New 
York  custom  of  great  antiquity,  made  familiar  to  you, 
no  doubt,  by  that  grave  historian  Diedrich  Knicker 
bocker,  who  gives  several  graphic  accounts  of  such 
cloudy  ruminations  on  the  part  of  your  city's  great 
grandfathers." 

"  I  fear  you  think  that  the  worshipful  Peter  Stuy- 
vesant's  counsellors  indulged  in  more  tobacco  than 
thought,  and  that  the  majority  of  them  had  as  few 
ideas  as  one  of  Mr.  Burlelgh's  chimneys,"  said  Van 
Berg.  "  And  you  regard  us  as  the  direct  descendants 
of  these  men,  whose  lives  were  crowned  with  smoke- 
wreaths  only." 

"  Now,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  you  prove  yourself  to  be  a 
philosopher  of  a  modern  school,  you  draw  your 
inductions  so  far  and  wide  from  your  diminutive 
premise." 

"Well,  Miss  Burton,  you  stand  in  very  favorable 
contrast  with  us  poor  mortals.  We  are  going  out  to 
add  to  the  clouds  that  lower  over  the  world,  while 
you  are  trying  to  banish  them." 

"  And  if,  after  helping  the  children  towards  the 
close  of  this  dismal  day,  your  heart  should  relent  to- 


A  REVELATION.  jjj 

wards  us,"  added  Stanton,  "  you  will  find  two  worthy 
objects  of  your  charity." 

"  Oh,  what  a  falling  off"  is  here  !  "  she  exclaimed, 
following  the  impatient  children.  "  Knights  at  first, 
then  philosophers,  and  now  objects  of  charity." 

Miss  Burton  evidently  kept  her  word,  and  told  a 
"jolly  story,"  for  the  friends  saw  through  the  parlor 
windows  that  the  circle  around  her  grew  larger  and 
more  hilarious  continually.  Then  would  follow  mo 
ments  of  rapt  and  eager  attention,  showing  that  the 
tale  gained  in  excitement  and  interest  what  it  lost  in 
humor.  Young  people,  who  did  not  like  to  be 
classed  with  children,  one  by  one  yielded  to  the 
temptation.  There  was  life  and  enjoyment  in  that 
corner  and  dulness  elsewhere,  and  nothing  is  so 
attractive  in  the  world  as  genuine  and  joyous  life. 

Even  elderly  ladies  looked  wistfully  up  at  the  occa 
sional  bursts  of  contagious  merriment,  and  then 
sighed  that  they  had  lost  the  power  of  laughing  so 
easily. 

At  last  the  marvellous  legend  came  to  an  end  amid 
a  round  of  prolonged  applause. 

"  Another,  another  !  "  was  the  general  outcry. 

But  Miss  Burton  had  observed  that  the  ladies  and 
gentlemen  present  seemed  inclined  to  be  friendly 
towards  the  young  people's  fun,  and  therefore  she 
broached  another  scheme  of  pleasure  that  would  vary 
the  entertainment. 

"Perhaps,"  she  said,  "your  papas  and  mammas 
and  the  other  good  people  will  not  object  to  an  old- 
fashioned  Virginia  reel." 

A  shout  of  welcome  greeted  this  proposition. 


152  A  PACE  ILLUMINED. 

Miss  Burton  raised  her  finger  so  impressively  that 
there  was  an  instant  hush.  Indeed  she  seemed  to 
have  gained  entire  control  of  the  large  and  miscella 
neous  group  which  surrounded  her. 

"  We  will  draw  up  a  petition,"  she  said  ;  "for  we 
best  enjoy  our  own  rights  and  pleasures  when  respect 
ing  those  of  others.  This  little  boy  and  girl  shall  take 
the  petition  around  to  all  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  in 
the  room,  and  this  shall  be  the  petition  : 

"  '  Dear  lady  and  kind  sir  ;  Please  dont  object  to 
our  dancing  a  Virginia  reel  in  the  parlor '.' ' 

"  All  who  wish  to  dance  can  sign  it.  Now  we  will 
go  to  the  office  and  draw  up  the  petition."  And 
away  they  all  started,  the  younger  children,  wild  with 
glee,  capering  in  advance. 

Stanton  threw  away  his  cigar  and  met  her  at  the 
office  register. 

"  Gentle  shepherdess,"  he  asked,  "  whither  are  you 
leading  your  flock  ?  " 

"How  behind  the  age  you  are!"  she  replied. 
"  Can  you  not  see  that  the  flock  is  leading  me  ?  " 

"  If  I  were  a  wolf  I  would  not  trouble  the  flock 
but  would  carry  off  the  shepherdess — to  a  game  of 
billiards." 

"  What,  then,  would  become  of  the  flock  ?  " 

"  That's  a  question  that  never  troubles  a  wolf." 

"A  wolfish  answer  truly.  I  think,  however,  you 
have  reversed  the  parable,  and  are  but  a  well-mean 
ing  sheep  that  has  donned  a  wolfs  skin,  and  so  we  will 
put  you  to  the  test.  We  young  people  will  give  you 
a  chance  to  draw  up  our  petition,  which,  if  you  would 
save  your  character,  you  must  do  at  once  with  sheep- 


A   REVELATION.  !53 

like  docility,  asking  no  questions  and  causing  no 
delay.  There,  that  will  answer ;  very  sheepishly 
done,  but  no  sheep's  eyes,  if  you  please,"  she  added, 
as  Stanton  pretended  to  look  up  to  her  for  inspira 
tion,  while  writing.  "  Now,  all  sign.  I  think  I  can 
trust  you,  sir,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  flock.  Here, 
my  little  man  and  woman,  go  to  each  of  the  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  make  a  bow  and  a  courtesy,  and  pre 
sent  the  petition." 

"  May  I  not  gambol  with  the  shepherdess  in  the 
coming  pastoral  ?  "  asked  Stanton. 

"  No,  indeed  !  You  are  much  too  old  ;  besides,  I 
am  going  to  play.  You  may  look  gravely  on." 

Every  one  in  the  parlor  smilingly  assented  to  the 
odd  little  couple  that  bobbed  up  and  down  before 
them,  and  moved  out  of  the  way  for  the  dancers. 
The  petitioners  therefore  soon  returned  and  were 
welcomed  with  applause. 

"  Now  go  to  the  inner  office  and  present  the  petition 
to  Mr.  Burleigh,"  said  Miss  Burton. 

"Hollo!"  cried  that  gentleman,  looking  around 
with  a  great  show  of  savagery,  as  the  little  girl  pulled 
the  skirt  of  his  coat  to  attract  his  attention  ;  "  where's 
King  Herod?" 

"  We  wish  to  try  another  method  with  the  chil 
dren,"  answered  Miss  Burton.  "  Will  it  please  you 
therefore  to  graciously  read  the  petition.  All  in  the 
parlor  have  assented." 

"  My  goodness  gracious  " 

"  No  swearing,  sir,  if  you  please." 

"  Woman  has  been  too  many  for  man  ever  since 
she  got  him  into  trouble  by  eating  green  apples," 
7* 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

ejaculated  Mr.  Burleigh  with  a  despairing  gesture. 
"  Why  do  you  mock  me  with  petitions  ?  There  is  the 
power  behind  the  throne,"  pointing  to  Miss  Burton. 

"  Take  your  places,  small  ladies  and  gentlemen," 
she  cried.  "  That's  Mr.  Burleigh's  way  of  saying  yes. 
While  you  are  forming,  I'll  play  a  few  bars  to  give 
you  the  time." 

Did  she  bewitch  the  piano  that  it  responded  so 
wonderfully  to  her  touch  ?  Where  had  she  found 
such  quaint,  dainty  music,  simple  as  the  old-fashioned 
dance  itself,  so  that  the  little  ones  could  keep  time  to 
it,  and  yet  pleasing  Van  Berg's  fastidious  ear  with  its 
unhackneyed  and  refined  melody.  But  the  marked 
and  marvellous  feature  in  her  playing  was  an  airy  rol- 
licksomeness  that  was  as  irresistible  as  a  panic.  Old 
ladies'  heads  began  to  bob  over  their  fancy  work  most 
absurdly.  Two  quartets  of  elderly  gentlemen  at  whist 
were  evidently  beginning  to  play  badly,  their  feet 
meantime  tapping  the  floor  in  a  most  unwonted  man 
ner. 

"  Were  I  as  dead  as  Julius  Caesar  I  could  not  re 
sist  that  quickstep,"  cried  Stanton,  and  he  rushed 
over  to  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Mayhew,  and  dragged  her  into 
line. 

"  What,  in  the  name  of  all  the  witches  of  Salem, 
has  got  into  that  piano  !  "  cried  Mr.  Burleigh,  burst 
ing  into  the  parlor  from  the  office,  with  his  pen  stuck 
behind  his  ear,  and  his  hair  brushed  up  perpendicu 
larly.  "  There's  sorcery  in  the  air.  I'm  practised 
upon — Keep  still  ?  No,  not  if  I  was  nailed  up  in  one 
of  the  soldier's  '  wooden  overcoats.'  The  world  is  trans 
formed,  transfigured,  transmogrified,  and  '  things  are 


A    REVELATION. 


155 


not  what  they  seem  ! '  Here's  a  blooming  girl  who'll 
dance  with  me,"  and  he  seized  the  hand  of  a  white- 
haired  old  lady  who  yielded  to  the  contagion  so  far  as 
to  take  a  place  in  the  line  beside  her  granddaughter. 

Indeed,  in  a  few  moments,  all  who  had  been  familiar 
with  the  pastime  in  their  youth,  caught  the  joyous 
infection,  and  lengthened  out  the  lines,  each  new 
accession  being  greeted  with  shouts  and  laughter. 

The  scene  approached  in  character  that  described 
by  Hawthorne  as  occurring  in  the  grounds  of  the 
Villa  Borghese  when  Donatello,  with  a  simple  "  tam 
bourine,"  produced  music  of  such  "  indescribable 
potency  "  that  sallow,  haggard,  half-starved  peasants, 
French  soldiers,  scarlet-costumed  contadinas,  Swiss 
guards,  German  artists,  English  lords,  and  herdsmen 
from  the  Campagna,  all  "joined  hands  in  the  dance  " 
which  the  musician  himself  led  with  the  frisky,  frolic 
some  step  of  the  mythical  faun. 

In  the  latter  instance  it  was  a  contagious,  mad 
excitement  easily  possible  among  hot-blooded  peo 
ples  and  wandering  pleasure-seekers,  the  primal  laws 
of  whose  being  are  impulse  and  passion.  That  the 
joyous  exhilaration  which  filled  Mr.  Burleigh's  parlor 
was  akin  to  the  wild,  half  pagan  frenzy  that  the  great 
master  of  fiction  imagined  as  seizing  upon  the  loiter 
ers  near  the  Villa  Borghese  cannot  be  denied.  Both 
phases  of  excitement  would  spring  naturally  from  the 
universal  craving  for  pleasurable  life  and  activity. 
The  one,  however,  was  a  rank  growth  from  a  rank 
soil — the  passionate  ebullition  of  passion-swayed  na 
tures  ;  the  other  was  inspired  by  the  magnetic  spirit 
of  a  New  England  maiden  who,  by  some  law  of  her 


J55  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

nature  or  consecration  of  her  life,  devoted  every 
power  of  her  being  to  the  vivifying  of  others,  and  the 
frolic  she  had  instigated  was  as  free  from  the  grosser 
elements  as  the  tossing  wind  flowers  of  her  native 
hills.  With  the  exception  perhaps  of  Van  Berg,  she 
had  impressed  every  one  as  possessing  a  peculiarly 
sunny  temperament.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  certainly 
appeared  true  that  she  found  her  happiness  in  enliven 
ing  others ;  and  it  is  difficult  even  to  imagine  how 
much  a  gifted  mind  can  accomplish  in  this  respect 
when  every  faculty  is  devoted  to  the  ministry  of  kind 
ness. 

This  view  of  Miss  Burton's  character  would  account 
in  part,  but  not  wholly,  for  the  power  she  exercised 
over  others.  Van  Berg  thought  he  at  times  detected 
a  suppressed  excitement  in  her  manner.  A  light 
sometimes  flickered  in  her  deep  blue  eyes  that  might 
have  been  caused  by  a  consuming  and  hidden  fire, 
rather  than  by  genial  and  joyous  thoughts. 

As  he  watched  her  now  through  the  parlor  window, 
her  eyes  were  burning,  her  face  reminded  him  of  a 
delicate  flame,  and  her  whole  being  appeared  concen 
trated  into  the  present  moment.  In  its  vivid  life  it 
seemed  one  of  the  most  remarkable  faces  he  ever 
saw ;  but  the  thought  occurred  again  and  again 
— "  If  the  features  of  Ida  Mayhew  could  be  lighted 
up  like  that  I'd  give  years  of  my  lifetime  to  be  able 
to  paint  the  beauty  that  would  result." 

Just  at  this  moment  he  saw  that  young  lady  ap 
proach  the  parlor  entrance  with  an  expression  of 
wonder  on  her  face.  He  immediately  joined  her,  and 
she  said  : 


A    REVELATION.  157 

'  Mr.  Van  Berg,  what  miracle  has  caused  this 
scene  ?" 

"  Come  with  me  and  I'll  show  you,"  he  answered, 
and  he  led  her  to  the  window  opposite  to  Miss  Burton, 
where  she  sat  at  the  piano.  "There,"  he  said,  "is 
the  miracle, — a  gifted,  magnetic,  unselfish  woman 
devoting  herself  wholly  to  the  enjoyment  of  others. 
She  has  created  more  sunshine  this  dismal  day  than 
we  have  had  in  the  house  since  I've  been  here.  Is 
not  that  face  there  a  revelation  ?  " 

"A  revelation  of  what?"  she  asked  with  rising 
color. 

"Of  the  possibilities  of  the  human  face  to  grow  in 
beauty  and  power,  if  kindled  by  a  noble  and  anima 
ting  mind.  Ye  gods!"  cried  the  artist,  expressing 
the  excitement  which  he  felt  in  common  with  others 
in  accordance  with  the  law  of  his  own  ruling  passion, 
"but  I  would  give  much  to  reproduce  that  face  on 
canvas  ;  "  and  then  he  added  with  a  despairing  ges 
ture,  "  but  who  can  paint  flame  and  spirit  ?  " 

After  a  moment  he  exclaimed,  with  flushed  cheeks 
and  flashing  eyes  :  "  It  appears  to  me  that  if  kindled 
by  such  a  mind  as  that  which  is  burning  in  yonder 
face,  I  could  attempt  anything  and  accomplish  every 
thing.  Limitations  melt  away  before  a  growing  sense 
of  power.  What  an  inspiration  a  woman  can  be  to  a 
man,  or  what  a  mill-stone  about  his  neck,  according 
to  what  she  is  !  Ah  !—  -" 

The  cause  of  this  exclamation  cannot  be  explained 
in  the  brief  time  that  it  occurred.  Stanton  had  hap 
pened  at  that  moment  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  Van 
Berg  and  his  cousin,  and  he  called  quite  loudly  : 


158  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

fl  Harold,  bring  Miss  Mayhew  in  and  join  us." 

At  the  same  instant  Mr.  Burleigh's  heavy  step 
passing  near  the  piano,  jarred  down  a  picture  that 
was  hung  insecurely,  and  it  fell  with  a  crash  at  Miss 
Burton's  side.  Was  it  the  shock  of  the  falling  picture 
upon  unprepared  and  overstrained  nerves,  or  what 
was  it  that  produced  the  instantaneous  change  in  the 
joyous-appearing  maiden  ?  Her  hands  dropped  nerve 
less  from  the  keys.  So  great  was  the  pallor  that 
swept  over  her  face  that  it  suggested  to  the  artist  the 
sudden  extinguishment  of  a  lamp.  She  bowed  her 
head  and  trembled  a  moment  and  then  escaped  by  a 
side  door. 

Van  Berg  walked  hastily  to  the  main  entrance, 
thinking  she  was  ill,  but  only  saw  her  vanishing  up 
the  stairway  with  hasty  steps.  Many  of  the  dancers, 
in  their  kindly  solicitude,  had  tried  to  intercept  her, 
but  had  been  too  late.  It  would  seem  that  all  ascribed 
her  indisposition  to  a  nervous  shock. 

"  It  is  evident,"  said  the  lady  who  had  been  con 
versing  with  her  when  she  had  acted  in  a  like  manner 
on  the  first  day  of  her  arrival,  "  that  she  possesses  a 
highly  sensitive  organism,  which  suddenly  gives  way 
when  subjected  to  a  strain  too  severe ; "  and  she 
reminded  Van  Berg  of  her  former  manifestation  of 
weakness. 

He  accepted  this  view  as  the  most  natural  expla 
nation  that  could  be  given. 


CONTXASI'S.  159 


CHAPTER  XV, 

CONTRASTS. 

GENUINE  and  genial  were  the  words  of  sym 
pathy  that  were  expressed  on  every  side  for 
the  young  lady  who  had  been  transforming  the  dull 
day  into  one  of  exceptional  jollity.  A  deputation  of 
ladies  called  upon  her,  but  from  within  her  locked 
door  she  confirmed  the  impression  that  it  was  a 
nervous  shock,  and  that  a  few  hours  of  perfect  quiet 
would  restore  her. 

And  it  would  seem  that  she  was  right,  .or  she  came 
down  to  supper  as  genial  and  smiling  as  ever  appar 
ently.  Beyond  a  slight  pallor  and  a  little  fulness 
about  her  eyes,  Van  Berg  could  detect  no  trace  of 
her  sudden  indisposition. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  was  passed  more  quietly 
by  the  guests  of  the  Lake  House,  but  the  force  of  Miss 
Burton's  example  did  not  spend  itself  at  once,  and 
on  the  part  of  some  there  was  developed  quite  a 
marked  disposition  to  make  kindly  efforts  to  promote 
the  enjoyment  of  others.  The  unwonted  exhilaration 
with  which  she  had  inspired  her  fellow  guests  was 
something  they  could  scarcely  account  for,  and  yet 
the  means  employed  had  been  so  simple  and  were  so 
plainly  within  the  reach  of  all,  as  to  suggest  that  a 


!6o  '-A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

genial  manner  and  an  unselfish  regard  for  others  were 
the  only  conditions  required  to  enable  each  one  to 
do  something  to  brighten  every  cloudy  day. 

After  Miss  Burton's  departure,  the  young  people 
had  the  dance  to  themselves,  their  elders  resuming 
the  avocations  and  soberer  pleasures  from  which 
they  had  been  swept  by  an  impulse  evoked  from  their 
half- forgotten  youth. 

When  Van  Berg  joined  Miss  Mayhew  again,  he 
found  her  mother  and  Stanton  trying  to  explain  how 
it  all  came  about. 

"  There  is  no  use  of  multiplying  words,"  concluded 
Stanton  ;  "  Miss  Burton  is  gifted  with  a  mind,  and 
she  uses  it  for  the  benefit  of  others  instead  of  tasking  it 
solely  on  her  own  account,  which  is  the  general  rule." 

At  this  moment  a  letter  was  handed  to  Mrs.  May- 
hew,  which  she  read  with  a  slight  frown  and  passed 
to  her  daughter.  It  was  from  Mr.  Mayhew,  and  con 
tained  but  a  brief  sentence  to  the  effect  that  his 
absence  would  probably  be  a  relief,  and  therefore  he 
would  not  spend  the  coming  Sabbath  with  them. 

Ida  did  not  show  the  superficial  vexation  that  her 
mother  manifested,  and  which  was  more  assumed 
than  real.  Her  cheek  paled  a  little,  and  she  instinc 
tively  glanced  at  Van  Berg  as  if  her  sudden  sense  of 
guilt  were  apparent  to  his  keen  eyes.  He  was  look 
ing  at  her  searchingly,  and  she  turned  away  with  a 
quick  flush,  nor -did  she  give  him  a  chance  to  speak 
with  her  again  that  day  ;  but  his  words — "  what  a 
millstone  about  a  man's  neck  a  woman  can  be!" — 
haunted  her  continually.  Still  oftener  rose  before  her 
Miss  Burton's  flushed  and  kindled  face,  and  the  ar- 


CONTRASTS.  l6t 

tist's  emphatic  assertion  of  the  power  of  mind  and 
character  to  add  to  native  beauty.  Had  she  not 
been  a  millstone  about  her  father's  neck  ?  Was  there 
not  a  fatal  flaw  in  the  beauty  of  which  she  was  so 
proud,  that  spoiled  it  for  eyes  that  were  critical  and 
unblinded  ? 

Oppressed  by  these  thoughts  and  being  in  no  mood 
for  her  cousin's  banter,  or  the  artist's  society  which 
always  seemed  to  render  her  more  uncomfortable,  she 
was  glad  to  escape  to  the  solitude  of  her  own  room. 

Another  "  revelation"  was  slowly  dawning  upon 
her  mind,  namely — just  what  she,  Ida  Mayhew,  was. 
A  woman  is  an  "  inspiration"  or  a  "  millstone  accord 
ing  to  what  she  is,"  this  stranger,  this  disturber 
of  her  peace,  from  whom  it  seemed  she  could  not 
escape,  had  not  only  asserted  but  proved  by  show 
ing  her  a  lady  she  would  have  passed  as  plain  and 
insignificant,  but  who  nevertheless  possessed  some 
sweet  potency  that  won  and  cheered  all  hearts,  and 
who,  she  was  compelled  to  admit,  was  positively 
beautiful  as  she  sat  at  the  piano,  radiant  with  her 
purpose  to  cause  gladness  in  others.  Miss  Burton 
had  created  sunshine  enough  to  enliven  the  dismal 
day,  and  had  quickened  a  hundred  pulses  with 
pleasure.  She  had  been  a  burden  even  to  herself. 

Everything,  from  the  artist's  first  disturbing  frown 
to  the  present  hour,  had  been  preparing  the  way  for 
the  sharp  and  painful  contrast  that  circumstances  had 
forced  upon  her  attention  to-day. 

But  the  thought  that  troubled  her  most,  was  that 
he  saw  this  contrast  more  plainly  than  it  was  possible 
for  her  to  see  it. 


lC)2  A    I' -ICE   ILLUMIXF.D. 

Vaguely,  and  yet  with  some  approach  to  the  truth, 
her  intuition  began  to  reveal  to  her  the  attitude  of  his 
mind  towards  her.  She  believed  that  he  was  attracted, 
but  also  saw  that  he  was  not  blinded  by  her  beauty. 
She  was  already  beginning  to  revise  her  first  impres 
sion  that  he  was  shutting  his  eyes  to  every  other  con 
sideration,  as  she  had  seen  so  many  do  in  their  brief 
infatuation.  His  manner  was  not  that  of  one  who  is 
taking  counsel  of  passion  only.  Those  ominous 
words — "  according  to  what  she  is" — indicated  that 
he  was  looking  into  her  mind,  her  character.  With  a 
sense  of  dismay,  she  was  awakening  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  dwarfed  ugliness  her  beauty  but  partially  con 
cealed,  and  she  felt  that  he,  from  the  first,  had  been 
discovering  those  defects  of  which  she  had  been 
scarcely  conscious  herself.  She  began  to  fear  that 
her  cousin's  words  would  prove  true,  and  that  he 
would  not  fall  helplessly  in  love  with  her.  Therefore 
the  opportunity  to  retaliate  and  to  punish  him  for  all 
the  mortifications  that  he  had  occasioned  her,  would 
never  come.  On  the  contrary,  he  might  inflict  upon 
her,  any  day,  the  crowning  humiliation  of  declaring, 
by  indifference  of  manner,  that  he  had  found  her  out 
so  thoroughly,  as  to  entertain  for  her  only  feelings  of 
disgust  and  repugnance. 

"  Well,"  she  concluded,  recklessly,  ''why  should  I 
care  what  he  thinks  ?  I  have  lived  thus  far  without 
his  good  opinion,  and  I  can  live  a  little  longer,  I  im 
agine.  I  have  had  a  good  time  for  eighteen  years 
after  my  own  fashion,  and  I  will  just  ignore  him  and 
have  a  good  time  still.  Indeed  I'll  shock  him  to-night 
and  to-morrow  so  thoroughly,  that  he  won't  come  near 


CONTRASTS. 

me  again  ;  for  I'm  sick  of  his  superior  airs.  I'm  sick 
of  his  learned  talk  about  books,  pictures,  and  politics, 
as  if  a  young  society  girl  were  expected  to  know 
about  these  things  ;  and  as  for  his  small  talk,  it  re 
minded  me  of  an  elephant  trying  to  dance  a  jig  ;  "  and 
she  sprang  up  with  a  snatch  of  song  from  the  opera 
bouffe,  and  began  her  toilet  for  dinner. 

In  a  few  moments,  however,  she  dropped  her  hair 
brush  absently,  and  forgot  to  look  at  her  fair  face  in 
the  mirror. 

"  I  wonder,"  she  mused,  "  if  he  and  Miss  Burton 
ever  met  before  they  came  here  ?  It  has  been  a 
strange  coincidence  that  she  should  have  felt  such  a 
sudden  indisposition  in  each  instance  at  the  same  mo 
ment  that  his  name  was  casually  mentioned.  True, 
on  both  occasions,  events  occurred  that  might  ac 
count  for  the  sudden  giving  way  of  her  nerves,  but  I 
cannot  help  thinking  that  she  has  some  association 
with  him  that  the  rest  of  us  know  nothing  about. 
She  certainly  seems  more  interested  in  him  than  in 
any  one  else  in  the  house,  for  I  have  several  times  no 
ticed  peculiar  and  furtive  glances  towards  him  ;  besides 
they  are  evidently  growing  to  be  very  good  friends. 
As  for  Ik,  he  seems  quite  inclined  to  enter  upon  a 
serious  flirtation  with  her.  But  what  do  I  care  for 
either  of  them  !  Mr.  Sibley  will  be  here  to-night,  and 
I'll  enable  this  artist  to  bring  his  investigations  to  a 
close  at  once.  I  am  what  I  am,  and  that's  the  end  of 
it,  and  I  won't  mope  and  have  a  stupid  time  for  any 
body,  and  certainly  not  for  him.  Let  him  marry  the 
school-ma'am.  She  can  talk  books,  art,  and  all  the 
* '  isms  "  going,  to  his  heart's  content.  I,  as  well  as  Miss 


1 64  A   PACE   ILLUMINED, 

Burton,  have  my  opinion  of  flirting,  and  know  from 
some  little  experience  that  it  is  jolly  good  fun. 

He  can  go  his  way,   1*11  go  mine  ; 

E'en  though  he  frowns,  the  ?u»  will  shine." 

And  with  a  careless  gesture  she  affected  to  dismiss 
him  from  her  thoughts. 

To  judge  from  her  manner  that  evening  and  the 
following  day,  one  might  suppose  that  she  succeeded 
very  fully.  Sibley,  with  an  unwonted  venturesome- 
ness,  did  risk  his  one  immaculate  possession,  his 
clothes,  and  came  from  the  city  through  the  storm. 
Ida  and  himself,  between  them,  brought  about  the 
nearest  approach  to  a  "  ball"  possible  in  the  circum 
stances. 

The  dancing,  under  their  auspices,  differed  from  that 
of  the  morning,  not  merely  in  name  and  form,  but  in 
its  subtle  character.  In  the  one  instance  it  had  been 
an  innocent  pastime,  occasioned  by  childlike  and  joy 
ous  impulses.  The  people's  manner  might  have 
reminded  one  of  a  bit  of  darkened  landscape  that  had 
been  rapidly  filled  with  light,  and  almost  ecstatic  life 
by  the  advent  of  a  May  morning. 

In  the  evening,  however,  everything  was  artificial 
and  in  keeping  with  the  gaslight.  The  ladies  were 
conscious. of  their  toilets,  conscious  of  themselves, 
looking  for  admiration  rather  than  for  hearty  enjoy 
ment.  Even  the  older  boys  and  girls,  who  had  been 
joyous  children  in  the  morning,  were  now  small  paro 
dies  of  fashionable  men  and  women  !  A  band  of  hired 
performers  twanged  out  the  hackneyed  dancing  music 


CONTRASTS.  165 

then  in  vogue,  going  over  their  small  repertoire  with 
wearisome  repetition.  People  danced  at  first  because 
it  was  the  thing  to  do,  and  not  from  any  inspiration 
from  the  melody.  As  the  evening  wore  on,  Sibley, 
who  had  been'  drinking  quite  freely,  tried  to  introduce, 
as  far  as  possible,  the  excitement  of  a  revel,  calling 
chiefly  for  swift  waltzes  and  galops  through  which  he 
and  Ida  whirled  in  a  way  that  made  people's  heads 
dizzy. 

Miss  Burton,  after  going  through  a  quadrille  with 
Stanton  early  in  the  evening,  had  declined  to  dance 
any  more.  She  did  not  feel  very  well,  she  explained 
to  Van  Berg  as  he  sought  her  for  the  next  form  ;  but 
he  imagined  that  she  early  foresaw  that  Sibley  and 
others,  and  among  them  even  Stanton,  were  inclined 
to  give  the  evening  a  character  that  was  not  to  her 
taste. 

As  Ida  had  made  herself  somewhat  prominent  in 
inaugurating  the  "  ball,"  as  Sibley  took  pains  to 
term  it  on  all  occasions,  Van  Berg,  as  a  part  of  his  tac 
tics  to  win  the  beauty's  good-will,  tried  at  first  to 
make  the  affair  successful.  He  danced  with  others, 
and  twice  sought  her  hand  ;  but  in  each  case  she 
rather  indifferently  told  him  that  she  was  engaged. 
He  would  not  have  sought  her  as  a  partner  after  his 
first  rebuff  had  he  not  imagined,  from  occasional  and 
furtive  glances,  that  she  was  not  as  indifferent  as  she 
seemed. 

Early  in  the  evening  it  occurred  to  him  that  her 
slightly  reckless  manner  was  assumed,  but  he  saw 
that  she  was  abandoning  herself  to  the  growing  excite 
ment  of  the  dance,  as  Sibley,  her  most  frequent  part- 


1 66  *  PACE  ILLUMINED. 

ner,  and  others,  were  to  the  stronger  excitement  of 
liquor.  Observant  mothers  called  away  their  daugh 
ters.  Ladies,  in  whom  the  instincts  of  true  refined 
womanhood  were  in  the  ascendancy,  looked  signifi 
cantly  at  each  other,  and  declined  further  invita 
tions. 

Van  Berg  had  also  withdrawn,  but  with  his  dispo 
sition  to  watch  manifestations  of  character  in  general, 
and  of  one  present  in  particular,  he  still  stood  at  a 
parlor  window  looking  on.  The  band  had  just  struck 
up  a  livelier  waltz  than  usual,  and  Ida  and  Sibley 
were  whirling  through  the  wide  apartment  as  if  tread 
ing  on  air  ;  but  when,  a  few  moments  later,  they  circled 
near  where  he  stood,  he  saw  upon  the  young  man's  face 
an  expression  of  earthiness  and  grossness  that  was  any 
thing  but  ethereal.  Indeed  so  unmistakably  wanton 
was  the  look  which  Sibley  bent  upon  his  companion, 
whose  heaving  bosom  he  clasped  against  his  own, 
that  the  artist  frowned  darkly  at  him,  and  felt  his 
hand  tingling  to  strike  the  fellow  a  blow. 

She,  looking  up,  caught  his  frown,  and  in  her 
egotism  and  excitement,  thought  it  meant  only  jeal 
ousy  of  the  man  she  had  so  favored  during  the  evening. 

"  Perhaps  he  is  more  deeply  smitten  than  I  imag 
ined,  and  I  can  punish  him  yet,"  was  the  hope  that 
entered  her  mind  ;  and  this  prospect  added  to  the 
elation  and  excitement  which  had  mastered  her. 

"  Can  she  know  how  that  scoundrel  is  looking  at 
her  ?  If  I  believed  it  I'd  leave  her  marvellous  features 
to  their  fate,"  was  the  thought  that  passed  through 
his  mind. 

In  his  perturbation  he  walked  down  the  long  piazza. 


CONTRASTS.  ^-j 

Happening  to  glance  into  one  of  the  small  private 
parlors,  he  witnessed  a  scene  that  made  a  very  sharp 
contrast  with  the  one  he  had  just  left.  An  old  white- 
haired,  white-bearded  man,  a  well-known  guest  of  the 
house,  reclined  in,  an  easy-chair  with  an  expression 
of  real  enjoyment  on  his  face.  His  aged  wife  sat  near, 
knitting  away  as  tranquilly  as  if  at  home,  while  under 
the  gas-jet  was  Miss  Burton,  reading  a  newspaper,  with 
two  or  three  others  upon  her  lap.  She  had  evidently 
found  the  old  gentleman  trying  to  glean,  with  his 
feeble  sight,  the  evening  journals  that  had  been 
brought  from  the  city,  and  was  lending  him  her  young 
eyes  and  mellow  voice  for  an  hour.  The  picture 
struck  him  so  pleasantly  that  he  took  out  his  note 
book  and  indicated  the  fortunate  grouping  within,  for 
a  future  sketch. 

"  It  would  make  some  difference  in  a  man's 
future,"  he  muttered,  "  whether  this  maiden  or  the 
one  in  yonder  roue's  embrace  were  installed  as  the 
mistress  of  his  home." 

Going  back  into  the  main  hallway  he  met  Stanton 
coming  doton  the  stairs  with  his  face  unusually 
flushed. 

"  Oh,  Van,"  he  cried,  "  where  have  you  been  keep 
ing  yourself?  Come. with  me  and  have  some  of  the 
best  brandy  you  ever  tasted." 

"Where  is  it?  " 

"  In  Sibley's  room.  He  brought  up  a  couple  of 
bottles  of  the  prime  old  article,  and  has  invited  all 
his  friends  to  make  free  with  it." 

"  I'm  not  one  of  his  friends." 

"  Oh  well,  you're  my  friend  !     What's  the  odds  ? 


l68  A   FACE    ILLUMINED. 

A  swig  of  such  brandy  will   do  you   good,  so  come 
along." 

"  Come  out  on  the  piazza,  Stanton.  I  want  to 
show  you  something." 

"  Can't  you  wait  a  few  moments  f  I  want  to  have 
a  whirl  in  this  jolly  waltz  before  it's  over." 

"  No  ;  then  it  will  be  too  late.  I  won't  keep  you 
long,"  and  Stanton  reluctantly  followed  him. 

Van  Berg  understood  his  friend  sufficiently  well  to 
know  that  any  ordinary  remonstrance  would  have  no 
influence  in  his  present  condition,  and  so  sought  to 
use  a  little  strategy.  Taking  him  to  the  window  of 
the  small  private  parlor,  he  showed  and  explained  to 
him  the  pretty  and  quiet  scene  within. 

Stanton's  manner  changed  instantly,  and  he  seemed 
in  no  haste  to  return  to  the  waltz. 

"  "  I  thought  it  would  strike  you  as  a  pretty  pic 
ture,  as  it  did  me,"  remarked  Van  Berg,  quietly  ; 
"  and  I  also  thought  that  after  seeing  it  you  would 
not  want  any  more  of  Sibley's  brandy.  It  would 
choke  me." 

"  You  are  right,  Van.  I  fear  I've  taken  too  much 
of  it  already.  I'm  glad  you  showed  me  this  quiet 
picture — it  makes  me  wish  I  were  a  better  man." 

"  I  like  that,  Ik;  I  always  knew  you  had  plenty 
of  good  metal  in  you.  Now  I  don't  want  to  be  offi 
cious,  but  I  would  not  let  a  cousin  of  mine  dance 
with  Sibley  any  longer  if  I  could  prevent  it  without 
attracting  attention.  However  generous  he  may 
have  been  with  his  brandy,  he  has  had  more  than  his 
share  himself." 

Thank  you,  Van  ;  I  understand  you.     By  Jove, 


. . 


CONTRASTS.  169 

I'll  try  the  same  tactics  with  her  that  you  have  with 
me.  I'll  bring  her  here  and  show  her  a  scene  that 
has  been  to  me  like  a  quieting  and  restraining  hand." 

A  few  moments  later  the  waltz  ceased,  and  Miss 
Mayhew  came  out  on  the  cool,  dusky  piazza,  leaning 
on  Sibley's  arm.  Stanton  joined  her  and  said  : 

"  Ida,  come  with  me  ;  I  wish  to  speak  with  you  a 
moment.  Mr.  Sibley,  please  excuse  us." 

"  Indeed,  Mr.  Stanton,"  said  Sibley  in  tones  of 
maudlin  sentiment,  "  you  are  cruel  to  deprive  me  of 
your  cousin's  society  even  for  a  moment.  I'll  forgive 
you  this  once,  but  never  again."  And  then  he 
availed  himself  of  the  opportunity  to  pay  another 
visit  to  his  brandy. 

"Ida,"  said  Stanton,  "  I  want  to  show  you  a  little 
picture  that  has  done  me  good." 

But  the  young  lady  was  in  no  mood  for  pictures 
or  moralizing,  Her  blood  was  coursing  feverishly 
through  her  veins,  her  spirit  had  been  made  reckless 
by  the  wilful  violence  that  she  was  doing  her  con 
science,  and  also  by  her  deep  and  growing  dissatis 
faction  with  herself,  that  was  like  an  irritating  wound. 
She  was  therefore  prepared  to  resent  any  interruption 
to  the  whirl  of  excitement,  which  gave  her  a  kind  of 
pleasure  in  the  place  of  the  happiness  that  was  im 
possible  to  one  in  her  condition. 

"  You  call  that  a  pretty  picture  !  "  she  said  dis 
dainfully  ;  "  Miss  Burton  reading  a  newspaper  to 
two  stupid  old -people  who  ought  to  be  abed  !  A 
more  humdrum  scene  I  never  saw.  Truly,  both 
your  breath  and  your  words  show  that  you  have 
been  drinking  too  much.  But  you  need  not  expect 
8 


I/O  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

me  to  share  in  your  tipsy  sentiment  over  Miss  Bur 
ton.  Did  Mr.  Van  Berg  ask  you  to  show  me  this 
matter-of-fact  group  which,  in  his  artistic  jargon,  you 
call  a  picture  ?  " 

"If  he  had,  he  showed  you  a  greater  kindness 
than  you  deserved." 

"  Yes,  and  a  greater  one  than  I  asked  or  wished 
from  him." 

"  Then  you  are  going  back  to  dance  with  Sibley  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  am." 

"  The  prospects  are,  that  you  and  Mrs.  Chints  and 
a  couple  of  half-tipsy  men  will  soon  have  it  all  to 
yourselves.  I  suppose  the  old  adage  about  '  birds  of 
a  feather '  will  still  hold  good.  I  was  in  hopes,  how 
ever,  that  even  if  you  had  no  appreciation  of  what 
was  beautiful,  refined,  and  unselfish  in  another  wom 
an's  action,  you  still  had  some  self-respect,  or  at  least 
some  fear  of  ridicule,  left.  Since  you  won't  listen  to 
me,  I  shall  warn  your  mother.  If  Sibley  and  two  or 
three  others  drink  much  more,  Burleigh  will  interfere 
for  the  credit  of  his  house." 

"  You  have  been  drinking  as  well  as  Mr.  Sibley." 

"  Well,  thanks  to  Van  Berg,  I  stopped  before  I  lost 
my  head." 

"  From  your  maudlin  sentiment  over  Miss  Burton.  I 
think  you  have  lost  your  head  and  heart  both." 

"  Go  ;  dance  with  Sibley,  then,"  he  said  in  sudden 
irritation  ;  "dance  with  him  till  you  and  Mrs.  Chints 
between  you  have  to  hold  him  on- his  feet.  Dance 
with  him  till  Burleigh  sends  a  couple  of  colored  wait 
ers  to  take  him  from  your  embrace  and  carry  him  off 
to  bed." 


CONTRASTS. 


171 


She  made  a  gesture  of  rage  and  disgust,  and  went 
straight  to  her  room. 

Sibley,  in  the  mean  time,  paid  a  lengthened  visit  to 
his  brandy,  and  having  already  passed  the  point  of 
discretion,  drank  recklessly.  When  he  descended  the 
stairs  again  to  look  for  his  partner,  his  step  was  un 
certain  and  his  utterance  thick. 

Stanton  gave  Mr.  Burleigh  a  hint  that  the  young 
man  needed  looking  after,  and  the  adroit  host,  skilled  in 
managing  all  kinds  of  people  and  in  every  condition, 
induced  him  to  return  to  his  room,  under  the  pretence 
of  wishing  to  taste  his  fine  old  brandy,  and  then  kept 
him  there  until  the  lethargic  stage  set  in  as  the  result 
of  his  excess.  And  so  an  affair,  which  might  have 
created  much  scandal,  was  smuggled  out  of  sight  and 
knowledge  as  far  as  possible.  Mrs.  Mayhew  had  been 
so  occupied  with  whist  that  she  had  not  observed  that 
anything  was  amiss,  and  merely  remarked  that  "  Mr. 
Sibley's  ball  had  ended  earlier  that  usual." 


J72  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

OUT   AMONG    SHADOWS. 

THE  expression  of  Ida  Mayhew's  face  was  cold 
and  defiant  on  the  following  day.  She  did  not 
attend  church  with  her  mother,  but  remained  all  the 
morning  in  her  room.  She  not  only  avoided  oppor 
tunities  of  speaking  to  Van  Berg  when  coming  down 
to  dinner  and  during  the  afternoon,  but  she  would  not 
even  look  towards  him  ;  and  her  manner  towards  her 
cousin  also  was  decidedly  icy. 

"  I  don't  know  what  is  the  matter  with  Ida,"  her 
mother  remarked  to  Stanton;  "she  has  acted  so 
strangely  of  late." 

"  It's  the  old  complaint,  I  imagine,"  he  replied  with 
a  shrug. 

"  What's  that?  " 

"Caprice." 

il  Oh,  well  !  she's  no  worse  than  other  pretty,  fash 
ionable  girls,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew,  carelessly. 

Stanton,  in  his  anger  on  the  previous  evening,  had 
not  spoken  of  his  cousin  to  Van  Berg  in  a  very  com 
plimentary  way  ;  but  the  artist  remembered  that  the 
young  man  himself  was  not  in  a  condition  to  form 
cither  a  correct  or  charitable  judgment ;  while  the 
fact  that  Ida,  as  a  result  of  his  remonstrance,  had  gone 


OUT  AMONG   SHADOWS,  ^3 

directly  to  her  room,  was  in  her  favor.  He  still  re 
solved  to  suspend  his  final  opinion  and  not  to  give 
over  his  project  until  satisfied  that  her  nature  con 
tained  too  much  alloy  to  permit  of  its  success.  He 
paid  no  heed  therefore  to  her  coldness  of  manner  ; 
and  when  at  last  meeting  her  face  to  face  on  the 
piazza  Sunday  evening,  he  lifted  his  hat  as  politely 
as  possible. 

Sibley  did  not  appear  until  the  arrival  of  the  dinner 
hour.  He  was  under  the  impression  that  he  had 
gone  a  little  too  far  the  night  before,  and  tried  to  make 
amends  by  an  immaculate  toilet  and  an  urbane  yet 
dignified  courtesy  towards  all  whom  he  knew.  Society 
very  readily  winks  at  the  indiscretions  of  wealthy 
young  men.  Moreover,  he  had  been  inveigled  back 
to  his  room  before  his  condition  had  been  observed 
to  any  extent.  Therefore  he  found  himself  so  well 
received  in  the  main,  that  he  soon  fully  recovered  his 
wonted  self-assurance. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  was  particularly  gracious  ;  and  Ida, 
who  at  first  had  been  somewhat  distant  towards  him 
as  well  as  all  others,  concluded  that  she  had  not 
sufficient  cause  to  be  ashamed  of  him,  and  so  it  came 
about  that  they  spent  much  of  the  afternoon  and 
evening  together.  She  did  not  fail  to  note,  however, 
that  when  he  approached  Van  Berg  he  received  a 
cold  and  curt  reception.  Was  jealousy  the  cause  of 
this  ?  In  her  elation  and  excitement  on  the  previous 
evening,  she  had  been  inclined  to  think  so,  but  now 
she  feared  that  it  was  because  the  artist  despised  the 
man  ;  and  in  her  secret  soul  she  was  compelled  to  admit 
that  he  had  reason  to  despise  him — yes,  to  despise 


74 


A    FACE   1IJ.UMIXED. 


them  both.  She  felt,  with  bitter  humiliation,  that  his 
superiority  was  not  assumed  but  real. 

More  than  once  before  the  clay  closed,  she  found 
herself  contrasting  the  two  men.  The  one  had  not  a 
shred  of  true  worth  about  him.  Stanton,  to  teaze  her 
and  to  justify  his  interference,  had  told  her  that  Mr. 
Burleigh  had  been  compelled  to  take  charge  of  her 
companion  in  order  to  prevent  him  from  disgracing 
himself  and  the  house.  Although  too  proud  to 
acknowledge  it,  she  still  saw  plainly  that  it  was  her 
cousin's  interference,  and  indirectly  the  intervention 
of  the  artist  that  had  kept  her  from  being  involved  in 
that  disgrace. 

Even  her  perverted  mind  recognized  that  one  was 
a  gentleman,  and  the  other — well,  "a  fashionable 
young  man,"  as  she  would  phrase  it.  The  one,  as  a 
friend,  would  shield  her  from  every  detracting  breath  ; 
the  other,  if  given  a  chance,  would  inevitably  tumble 
into  some  slough  of  infamy  himself,  and  drag  her 
after  him  with  reckless  selfishness. 

Still,  with  something  like  self-loathing,  she  saw 
that  Sibley  was  her  natural  ally  and  companion,  and 
that  she  had  far  more  in  common  with  him  than  with 
the  artist.  She  could  easily  maintain  with  him  the 
inane  chatter  of  their  frivolous  life,  but  she  could  not 
talk  with  the  artist,  nor  he  with  her,  without  an  effort 
that  was  as  humiliating  as  it  was  apparent. 

What  was  more,  she  saw  that  all  others  classed  her 
with  Sibley,  and  that  the  people  in  the  house  who 
were  akin  to  the  artist  in  character  and  high  breed 
ing,  stood  courteously  but  coolly  aloof  from  both 
herself  and  her  mother.  She  also  felt  that  she  could 


AMONG   SHADOWS.  17$ 

not  lay  all  the  blame  of  this  upon  her  poor  father. 
Indeed,  since  the  previous  miserable  Sunday  on 
which  Van  Berg  had  tried  to  win  Mr.  Mayhew  from  his 
evil  habit  for  one  day  at  least,  and  she  had  thwarted 
his  kindly  intention,  she  had  begun  to  feel  that  she 
and  her  mother  were  the  chief  causes  of  his  increasing 
degradation.  Others,  she  feared,  and  especially  Van 
Berg,  took  the  same  view. 

With  such  thoughts  surging  up  in  her  mind  and 
clouding  her  bro-w,  Sibley  did  not  find  her  altogether 
the  same  girl  that  she  had  been  the  evening  before. 
Still,  as  has  been  said,  he  was  her  natural  ally,  and 
she  tried  to  second  his  efforts  to  re-establish  a  good 
character  and  to  keep  up  the  appearance  of  fashion 
able  respectability. 

Stanton  was  in  something  of  a  dilemna.  He  did 
not  like  Sibley,  and  was  ashamed  of  his  recent  ex 
cess  ;  but  having  drank  with  him,  and  so,  in  a  sense, 
having  accepted  his  hospitality,  felt  himself  obliged 
to  be  rather  affable.  He  managed  the  matter  by 
keeping  out  of  the  way  as  far  as  possible,  and  was 
glad  to  remember  that  the  young  man  would  depart 
in  the  morning.  While  scarcely  acknowledging  the 
fact  to  himself,  he  was  on  the  alert  most  of  the  day 
to  find  an  opportunity  of  enjoying  a  conversation 
with  Miss  Burton  ;  but  she  kept  herself  very  much 
secluded.  After  attending  church  at  a  neighboring 
village  in  the  morning,  she  spent  most  of  the  after 
noon  with  Mrs.  Burleigh,  assisting  her  in  the  care  of 
the  cross  baby. 

Van  Berg,  much  to  Stanton's  envy,  found  her  as 
genial  and  cheery  as  ever  when  they  met  at  the 


176  4   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

table.  He  learned,  from  her  manner  more  than  from 
anything  she  said,  that  the  day  and  its  associations 
were  sacred  to  her.  She  affected  no  solemnity  and 
seemed  under  no  constraint,  only  her  thought  and 
bearing  had  a  somewhat  soberer  coloring,  like  the 
shading  of  a  picture.  To  his  mind  it  was  but  another 
example  of  her  entire  reticence  in  regard  to  herself, 
while  her  smiling  face  seemed  as  open  as  the  light. 

But  as  she  came  out  from  supper  the  children 
pounced  upon  her,  clamorous  for  a  story.  She  as 
sented  on  condition  that  Mr.  Burleigh  would  give 
them  the  use  of  one  of  the  private  parlors — a  stipu 
lation  speedily  complied  with  ;  and  soon  she  had 
nearly  all  the  small  folk  in  the  hotel  gathered  round 
her. 

"  I  shall  stand  without,  like  the  '  Peri  at  the  gate,'  " 
Stanton  found  a  chance  to  say. 

"  The  resemblance  is  very  striking/'  was  her  smil 
ing  reply  ;  but  for  some  reason  he  winced  under  it 
and  wished  he  had  not  spoken. 

When  she  dismissed  her  little  audience  there  were 
traces  of  tears  on  some  of  the  children's  faces,  prov 
ing  that  she  could  tell  a  pathetic,  as  well  as  a  jolly 
story  ;  and  Van  Berg  observed  with  interest  how  the 
power  of  her  magnetism  kept  them  lingering  near 
her  even  after  she  entered  the  parlor  and  sought  a 
quiet  nook  near  the  old  gentleman  and  lady  to  whom 
she  had  been  reading  the  previous  evening. 

Mrs.  Chints,  who  liked  to  be  prominent  on  all  oc 
casions,  very  properly  felt  that  sacred  music  would 
be  the  right  thing  on  Sabbath  evening,  and,  with  a 
few  of  her  own  ilk,  was  giving  a  florid  and  imperfect 


OUT  AMONG  SHADOWS.  \yj 

rendering  of  that  peculiar  style  of  composition  that 
suggests  a  poor  opera  while  making  a  rather  shocking 
and  irreverent  use  of  words  taken  from  the  Scriptures. 

Van  Berg  and  Stanton,  who  were  out  on  the  pi 
azza,  were  ready  to  grate  their  teeth  in  anguish,  find 
ing  the  narcotic  influence  of  the  strongest  cigar  no 
match  for  Mrs.  Chints's  voice, 

Suddenly  that  irrepressible  lady  spied  Miss  Burton, 
and  she  swooped  down  upon  her  in  a  characteristic 
manner,  exclaiming : 

"You  can't  decline;  you  needn't  say  you  don't ; 
I've  heard  you.  If  you  sing  half  as  well  for  us  as  you 
did  to  .Mrs.  Burleigh's  baby  this  afternoon,  we'll  be 
more  than  satisfied.  Now  come  ;  one  sweet  solo — 
just  one." 

Stanton  craned  his  neck  from  where  he  sat  to  see 
the  result  of  this  onslaught,  but  Miss  Burton  shook 
her  head. 

"  Well,  then,  won't  you  join  in  with  us  ?  "  persisted 
Mrs.  Chints.  "  Sacred  music  is  so  lovely  and  appro 
priate  on  Sunday  night." 

11  You  are  right  in  that  respect,  Mrs.  Chints.  If  it 
is  the  wish  of  those  present  I  think  some  simple 
hymns  in  which  we  can  all  join  might  be  generally 
enjoyed." 

"  Now,  my  dear,  you  have  just  hit  it,"  said  the 
old  lady  at  her  side.  "I,  for  one,  would  very  much 
like  to  hear  some  simple  music  like  that  we  had  when 
I  was  young." 

The  old  lady's  preference  was  taken  up  and  echoed 
on  every  side.     Indeed  the  majority  were  ready  for 
any  change  from  Mrs.  Chints's  strident  tones. 
3* 


1 78  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Well,  my  dear,"  said  that  lady,  "it  shall  be  as 
you  say."  Then  she  added,  sotto  voce,  with  a  com 
placent  nod,  "  I  suppose  the  music  we  were  giving  is 
beyond  the  masses,  but  if  you  could  once  hear 
Madame  Skaronni  render  it  in  our  choir  at  the 
Church  of  the  (something  that  sounded  like  '  picka 
ninny,'  as  by  Mrs.  Chints  pronounced)  you  would 
wish  for  no  other.  Will  you  play,  my  dear  ?  " 

11  Ah,  yes,  please  do,"  exclaimed  some  of  the  chil 
dren  who  had  gathered  around  her. 

"  In  mercy  to  us  poor  mortals  for  whom  there  is 
no  escape  save  going  to  bed,  please  comply,"  whis 
pered  the  old  lady  in  her  ear. 

The  light  in  Miss  Burton's  eyes  was  mirthful 
rather  than  sacred  as  she  rose  and  went  to  the  piano, 
and  at  once  an  air  of  breezy  and  interested  expect 
ancy  took  the  place  of  the  previous  bored  expres 
sion. 

"Come,  Van,"  said  Stanton,  throwing  away  his 
cigar,  "  we'll  need  your  tenor  voice.  We  must  stand 
by  that  little  woman.  The  Chints  tribe  have  incited 
to  profanity  long  enough,  and  shall  make  the  night 
hideous  no  more.  If  we  could  only  drown  them  in 
stead  of  their  voices,  what  a  mercy  it  would  be !  " 
and  the  young  men  went  around  and  stood  in  the 
open  door  near  the  piano. 

"You  are  to  sing,"  said  Miss  Burton,  with  a  de 
cided  little  nod  at  them. 

"  We  intend  to,"  replied  Stanton,  "  since  you  are 
to  accompany  us." 

She  started  "  Coronation,"  that  spirited  and  always 
inspiriting  battle  song  of  the  church  —  jubilant  and 


OUT  AMONG   SHADOWS. 


179 


militant — a  melody  that  is  also  admirably  adapted 
for  blending  rough  and  inharmonious  voices. 

For  a  moment  her  own  voice  was  like  that  of  a 
singing  lark,  mounting  from  its  daisy  covert ;  or 
rather,  like  the  flow  of  a  silver  rill  whose  music  was 
soon  lost,  however,  in  the  tumultuous  rush  of  other 
tributary  streams  of  sound  ;  still,  the  general  effect 
was  good,  and  the  people  enjoyed  it.  By  the  time 
the  second  stanza  was  reached  the  majority  were 
singing  with  hearty  good-will,  the  children  gathering 
near  and  joining  in  with  delight. 

Other  familiar  and  old-fashioned  hymns  followed, 
and  then  one  and  another  began  to  ask  for  their 
favorites.  Fortunately  Mrs.  Chints's  knowledge  of 
sacred  music  was  limited,  and  so  she  retired  on  the 
laurels  of  having  called  Miss  Burton  out,  informing 
half  the  company  of  the  fact  with  an  important  nod ; 
and  in  remembrance  of  this  fact  they  were  inclined 
to  forgive  her  the  anguish  she  had  personally  caused 
them. 

Mrs.  Burleigh,  who  had  stolen  into  the  parlor  for  a 
little  while  that  she  might  enjoy  the  singing,  remem 
bered  that  she  had  a  pile  of  note-books  that  had 
grown  dusty  on  a  shelf  since  the  baby  had  furnished 
the  music  of  the  household.  These  were  brought, 
and  higher  and  fuller  musical  themes  were  attempted, 
until  the  singers  dwindled  to  a  quartet  composed  of  a 
lady  who  had  a  fair  soprano  voice,  Miss  Burton, 
Stanton  and  Van  Berg.  Their  selections,  however, 
continued  truly  sacred  in  character,  thus  differing 
radically  from  the  florid  style  that  Mrs.  Chints  had 
introduced. 


ISO  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

The  sweet  and  penetrating  power  of  Miss  Burton's 
voice  could  now  be  distinguished.  For  some  reason 
it  thrilled  and  touched  its  hearers  in  a  way  that  they 
could  not  account  for.  The  majority  present  at  once 
realized  that  she  was  not,  and  never  could  become,  a 
great  singer.  But  within  the  compass  of  her  voice, 
she  could  pronounce  sacred  words  in  a  manner  that 
sent  them  home  to  the  hearts  of  the  listeners  like  rays 
that  could  both  cheer  and  melt. 

At  last  she  rose  from  the  piano,  remarking  that 
there  were  other  musicians  present  ;  and  no  amount 
of  persuasion  could  induce  her  to  remain  there  any 
longer. 

"  Perhaps  you  gentlemen  play,"  she  said,  turning 
to  the  young  men  who  were  about  to  depart.  "  A 
man's  touch  and  leadership  is  so  much  more  decisive 
and  vigorous  than  a  lady's  !  " 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg  plays  very  well  indeed,  consider 
ing  his  youth  and  diffidence  !  "  remarked  Stanton. 

"  And  he  has  been  taking  advantage  of  a  defence 
less  woman  all  this  time!  Mr.  Van  Berg,  if  you  do 
not  wish  to  lose  your  character  utterly,  you  must 
take  my  place  at  the  piano." 

"  I  admit,"  he  replied,  "that  I  have  taken  more 
pleasure  than  you  will  believe  in  your  contribution  to 
our  evening's  enjoyment,  but  rather  than  lose  your 
good  opinion  I  will  attempt  to  play  or  sing  anything 
you  dictate,  even  though  I  put  every  one  in  the  parlor 
to  flight,  with  their  fingers  in  their  ears." 

"  And  you  fear  my  taste  will  impose  on  you  some 
such  blood-curdling  combination  of  sounds  ?  Thank 
you." 


OUr  AMONG   SHADOWS.  !$! 

''  No\v,  Van,  you  have  taught  us  what  uncondition 
al  surrender  means.  Miss  Burton,  ask  him  to  play 
and  sing  some  selections  from  the  Oratorio  of  the 
Messiah." 

"  Are  you  familiar  with  that?"  she  asked,  with  a 
sudden  lighting  up  of  her  face. 

"  Somewhat  so,  only  as  an  amateur  can  be  ;  but  I 
see,  from  your  expression,  that  you  are." 

"  I've  contributed  my  share  this  evening,"  she  said, 
decisively.  "  Please  give  us  some  selections  from 
the  Oratorio." 

"Lay  your  commands,  then,  on  Stanton  also. 
There's  a  part  that  we  have  sung  together  as  a  duet 
occasionally,  although  it  is  not  '  so  nominated  in  the 
bond,'  or  score,  rather." 

"  If  Mr.  Stanton  does  not  stand  by  his  friend,  then 
he  should  be  left  to  stand  by  himself." 

"  In  the  corner,  I  suppose  you  mean.  But  do  not 
leave,  Miss  Burton.  If  you  do  not  stand  by  Mr.  Van 
Berg  and  sing  with  him  the  duet  that  begins  with 
the  words— 

'  O  death  !   where  is  thy  sting  ? ' 

you  will  deprive  us  all  of  the  chief  pleasure  of  the 
evening,  and  it's  not  in  your  nature  to  do  that." 

"  Please,  please  do,  Miss  Burton,"  cried  a  score  of 
voices. 

"  You  know  nothing  about  my  nature,  sir.  I  as 
sure  you  that  I  can  be  a  veritable  dragon.  But  out 
of  regard  for  Mr.  Van  Berg's  '  youth  and  diffidence ' 
I  will  sustain  him." 

Van  Berg's  voice  was  not  strong,  but  he  sang  with 


]82  A    FACE  ILLUMINED. 

taste  and  good  expression.  It  suggested  refinement 
and  culture  rather  than  deep,  repressed  feeling,  as 
had  been  the  case  in  Miss  Burton's  singing.  His 
style  would  be  generally  admired  and  would  not  give 
much  occasion  for  criticism,  but  it  would  not  stir  and 
move  the  heart  as  a  general  thing.  Still,  the  audience 
gave  close  and  pleased  attention. 

Ida  Mayhew,  who  all  this  time  bad  been  out  on 
the  piazza,  and  but  half  listening  to  Mr.  Sibley's  com 
pliments  in  her  attention  to  the  scenes  at  the  piano, 
now  rose  and  came  to  one  of  the  open  windows, 
where,  while  hidden  from  the  singer,  she  could  hear 
more  distinctly.  Her  features  did  not  indicate  that 
she  shared  in  the  pleasure  expressed  on  the  other 
faces  within,  and  her  gathering  frown  was  deepened 
by  the  shadow  of  the  window  frame. 

"  You  do  not  enjoy  it  !  "  said  Mr.  Sibley,  compla 
cently. 

"  No,"  she  answered,  laconically  ;  but  for  reasons 
he  little  understood. 

"  Now  you  show  your  taste,  Miss  Mayhew." 

"  I  fear  I  do.  Hush  !  "  But  when  Van  Berg's  solo 
ended,  she  breathed  a  deep  sigh. 

Then  Stanton's  rich,  but  uncultivated  bass  voice 
joined  in  the  melody.  Still,  the  effect  was  better  than 
would  have  been  expected  from  amateurs.  After  a 
few  moments,  Stanton  stood  back  and  Miss  Burton 
and  Van  Berg  sang  together  ;  then  every  one  leaned 
forward  and  listened  with  a  breathless  hush.  Her 
voice  seemed  to  pervade  his  with  a  soul  and  feeling 
that  had  been  lacking  hitherto. 

As  the  last  rich  chords  died  away,  the  strongest 


•  % 

OUT  AMONG  SHADOWS.  rg^ 

expressions  of  pleasure  were  heard  on  every  side  ; 
but  Ida  Mayhew  stepped  abruptly  out  into  the  dusk 
of  the  piazza  with  clenched  hands  and  compressed 
lips. 

"  Peste  !  "  she  exclaimed  under  her  breath.  "  What 
a  contrast  between  Sibley  and  myself  last  evening  and 
these  two  people  to-night !  What  a  worse  contrast 
there  might  have  been  if  Ik  had  not  interfered  in  time  ! 
I  have  a  good  voice,  but  the  guests  of  the  house  have 
not  even  thought  of  me  in  connection  with  this  even 
ing's  entertainment.  I  am  associated  only  with  the 
Sibley  style  of  amusements." 


1 84  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

NEW  FORCES  DEVELOPING. 

AFTER  Mr.  Van  Berg  and  Miss  Burton  finished 
the  selection  from  the  Oratorio  mentioned  in 
the  previous  chapter,  the  old  white-haired  gentleman 
at  whose  side  the  latter  had  been  sitting  in  the  earlier 
part  of  the  evening  rose  and  said  : 

"  I  want  to  thank  all  the  singers,  and  especially  the 
young  lady  and  gentleman  now  at  the  piano,  not  only 
for  the  pleasure  they  have  given  us  all,  but  also  for 
the  comforting  and  sustaining  thoughts  that  the  sa 
cred  words  have  suggested,  My  enjoyments  in  this 
world  are  but  few,  and  are  fast  diminishing  ;  and  I 
know  that  they  will  not  refuse  an  old  man's  request 
that  they  close  this  service  of  song  by  each  singing 
alone  some  hymn  that  will  strengthen  our  faith  in  the 
unseen  Friend  who  watches  over  us  all." 

Van  Berg  looked  at  Miss  Burton. 

"  We  cannot  refuse  such  an  appeal,"  she  said. 

"  I  fear  that  I  shall  seem  a  hypocrite  in  complying," 
Van  Berg  answered,  in  a  low  tone.  "  How  can  I 
make  a  distinctly  recognized  effort  to  strengthen  faith 
in  others  when  lacking  faith  myself." 

Her  eyes  flashed  up  to  his,  in  sudden  and  strong 
approval.  "  I  like  that,"  she  said.  "  It  always  gives 


NEW  FORCES  DEVELOPING.  185 

me  a  sense  of  security  and  safety  when  I  meet  down 
right  honesty.  In  no  way  can  you  better  strengthen 
our  faith  than  by  being  perfectly  true.  You  give  me 
a  good  example  of  sincerity,"  she  added  slowly,  "  and 
perhaps  my  hymn  will  teach  submission  more  than 
faith.  While  I  am  singing  it  you  may  find  something 
that  will  not  express  more  than  you  feel." 

In  her  sweet,  low,  yet  penetrating  voice,  that  now 
had  a  pathos  which  melted  every  heart,  she  sang  the 
following  words,  which,  like  the  perfume  of  crushed 
violets,  have  risen  in  prayer  from  many  bruised  and 
broken  spirits : 

"  My  God,  my  Father,  while  I  stray 
Far  from  my  home  on  life's  rough  way, 
Oh  teach  me  from  my  heart  to  say, 
Thy  will  be  done. 

What  though  in  lonely  grief  I  sigh 
For  friends  beloved  no  longer  nigh  ; 
Submissive  still  would  I  reply, 
Thy  will  be  done. 

If  Thou  shouldst  call  me  to  i-esign 
What  most  I  prize — it  ne'er  was  mine  ; 
I  only  yield  Thee  what  was  Thine ; 
Thy  will  be  done. 

Renew  my  will  from  day  to  day  ; 
Blend  it  with  Thine,  and  take  away 
Whate'er  now  makes  it  hard  to  say, 
Thy  will  be  done. 

Then  when  on  earth  I  breathe  no  more, 
The  prayer  oft  mixed  with  tears  before, 
I'll  sing  upon  a  happier  shore, 
Thy  will  be  done." 


ILLUMINED- 

Stanton,  warm-hearted  and  genuine  with  all  his 
faults,  retired  well  into  the  shadow  of  the  hallway  and 
looked  at  the  singer  through  the  lenses  of  sympathetic 
tears. 

"Poor  orphan  girl,"  he  muttered.  "What  a  vil 
lain  a  man  would  be  who  could  purpose  harm  to 
you !  "- 

Van  Berg,  in  accordance  with  his  cooler  and  less 
demonstrative  nature,  kept  his  position  at  her  side, 
but  he  regarded  her  with  an  expression  of  respect 
and  interest  that  caused  Ida  Mayhew,  who  was 
watching  him  from  her  covert  near,  a  sense  of  pain 
and  envy  that  surprised  her  by  its  keenness. 

With  a  sudden  longing  which  indicated  that  the 
wish  came  direct  from  her  heart,  she  sighed  : 

"What  would  I  not  give  to  see  him  look  at  me 
with  that  expression  on  his  face  !  " 

Then,  startled  by  her  own  thought,  so  vivid  had  it 
been,  she  looked  around  as  if  in  fear  it  was  apparent 
•to  her  companion. 

His  eyes  were  in  truth  bent  upon  her,  and  in  the 
dusk  they  seemed  like  two  livid  coals.  A  moment 
later,  as  with  a  shrinking  sense  of  fear  she  furtively 
looked  at  him  again,  his  eyes  suggested  those  of  some 
animal  of  prey  that  is  possessed  only  with  the  wolfish 
desire  to  devour,  caring  for  the  victim  only  as  it  may 
gratify  the  ravenous  appetite. 

He  leaned  forward  and  whispered  in  her  ear : 

"  Miss  Ida,  you  do  not  know  how  strangely,  how 
temptingly  beautiful  you  are  to-night.  One  might 
well  peril  his  soul  for  such  beauty  as  yours." 

"  Hush,"  she  said  imperiously,  and  with  a  repelling 


FORCES  DE VEL OPING.  j  87 

gesture,   she  stepped  further  into  the  light  towards 
the  singers. 

'  '  Then,  when  on  earth  I  breathe  no  more,'  "  sang 
Miss  Burton. 

The  thought  was  to  the  heart  of  the  unhappy 
listener  like  the  touch  of  ice  to  the  hand.  There  was 
a  kindling  light  of  hope  in  Miss  Burton's  face,  and 
something  in  her  tone  that  indicated  the  courage  of 
an  unfaltering  trust  as  she  sang  the  closing  lines  : 

"  I'll  sing  upon  a  happier  shore, 
Thy  will  be  done." 

But  the  words  brought  a  deeper  despondency  to  Ida 
Mayhew.  In  bitterness  she  asked  herself,  "What 
chance  is  there  for  me  to  reach  '  that  happier  shore,' 
with  the  tempter  at  my  side  and  everything  in  the 
present  and  past  combining  to  drag  me  down  ?  " 

"  There,  thank  heaven  '  meetin's  '  over,"  whispered 
Sibley,  as  Miss  Burton  rose  from  the  piano.  "  I'm 
sick  of  all  this  pious  twaddle,  and  would  a  thousand 
fold  rather  listen  to  the  music  of  your  voice  out  under 
the  trees." 

"  You  '  thank  heaven  '  !  "  she  repeated  with  a  reck 
less  laugh.  "  I'm  inclined  to  think,  Mr.  Sibley,  from 
the  nature  of  your  words,  you  named  the  wrong 
locality." 

The  answering  look  he  gave  her  indicated  that  she 
puzzled  him.  She  had  not  seemed  to-day  like  the 
shallow  girl  who  had  hitherto  accepted  of  his  more 
innocent  compliments  as  if  they  were  sugar-plums, 
and  merely  raised  her  finger  in  mock  warning  at  such 
as  contained  a  spice  of  wickedness  and  boldness. 


1 88  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

There  seemed  a  current  of  thought  in  her  mind  which 
he  could  not  fathom,  and  whether  it  were  carrying 
her  away  or  toward  him  he  was  not  sure.  He  under 
stood  and  welcomed  the  element  of  recklessness,  but 
did  not  like  the  way  in  which  she  looked  at  Van  Berg, 
nor  did  it  suit  his  purposes  that  she  should  hear  30 
much  of  what  he  characterized  as  "pious  twaddle." 
He  whispered  again  bolder  words  than  he  had  ever 
spoken  to  her  before. 

"  I  wish  no  better  heaven  than  the  touch  of  your 
hand  and  the  light  of  your  eyes.  See,  the  moon  is 
rising  ;  come  with  me,  for  this  is  the  very  witching 
hour  for  a  ramble." 

She  turned  upon  him  a  startled  look,  for  he  seemed 
the  very  embodiment  of  temptation.  But  she  only 
said  coldly  : 

"  Hush  !  Mr.  Van  Berg  is  about  to  sing,"  and  she 
stepped  so  far  into  the  lighted  room  that  the  artist 
saw  her. 

When  Miss  Burton  rose  from  the  piano  she  did  not 
return  to  her  seat  in  the-  parlor,  but  stood  in  the 
shadow  of  the  door-way  leading  into  the  hall.  The 
thought  of  her  hymn  had  come  so  directly  from  her 
heart,  that  her  eyes  were  slightly  moist  with  an 
emotion  that  was  more  plainly  manifest  on  many  other 
faces.  The  old  gentleman  who  had  asked  her  to  sing 
had  taken  off  his  spectacles  and  was  openly  wiping 
his  eyes. 

Stanton,  ashamed  to  have  her  see  the  feeling  she 
had  evoked,  turned  his  back  upon  her  and  slowly 
walked  down  the  corridor.  She  misunderstood  his 
act,  and  thought  it  caused  by  indifference  or  dislike 


NEW  FORCES  DEVELOPING.  189 

for  the  sentiment  she  had  expressed.  He  had  seemed 
to  her  thus  far  only  a  superficial  man  of  the  world, 
and  this  act  struck  her  as  characteristic.  But  beyond 
this  passing  impression  she  did  not  give  him  a  thought, 
and  turned,  with  genuine  interest,  to  listen  to  Van 
Berg  who  had  said  to  her  : 

"  I  remember  a  few  simple  verses  which  have  no 
merit  save  that  they  express  what  I  .wish  rather  than 
what  I  am." 

With  much  more  feeling,  and  therefore  power,  than 
was  his  custom,  he  sang  as  follows  : 

"  I  would  I  knew  Thee  better- 
That  trust  could  banish  doubt  ; 
I  wish  that  from  k  the  letter  ' 
Thy  Spirit  might  shine  out. 

I  wish  that  heaven  were  nearer — 
That  earth  were  more  akin 
To  the  home  that  should  be  dearer 
Than  the  one  so  marred  by  sin. 

I  wish  that  deserts  dreary 
Might  blossom  as  the  rose, 
That  souls,  despairing,  weary, 
Might  smile  and  find  repose." 

Before  singing  the  next  stanza  he  could  not  forbear 
looking  to  see  if  Miss  Mayhew  were  listening,  and 
thus  it  happened  that  his  glance  gave  peculiar  empha 
sis  to  the  thought  expressed.  She  was  looking  at 
him  with  an  intensity  of  expression  that  he  did  not 
understand.  Nothing  that  he  did  escaped  her,  and 
the  quick  flash  of  his  eyes  in  her  direction  unintention 
ally  gave  the  following  words  the  force  and  pointed- 
ness  of  an  open  rebuke  : 


190  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

"  I  wish'that  outward  beauty 
Were  the  mirror  of  the  heart, 
That  purity  and  duty 
Supplanted  wily  art." 

He  did  not  see  that  with  a  sudden  flame  of  scarlet 
in  her  face  she  stepped  back  on  the  dusky  piazza,  as 
abruptly  as  if  she  had  received  a  blow.  Had  he  done 
so,  he  might  not  have  sung  as  effectively  the  remain 
ing  verses.  After  the  first  confused  moment  of 
shame  and  resentment  passed,  she  paused  only  long 
enough  to  note  with  a  sense  of  relief  that  others  had 
not  seen  or  made  any  such  application  of  his  words 
as  she  believed  he  had  intended,  and  then  she  took 
Mr.  Sibley's  arm  and  walked  away,  leaving  the 
remaining  two  verses  unheard  — 

'*!  wish  that  all  were  better 
And  nearer  to  their  God — 
That  evil's  broken  fetter 
Were  buried  with  His  rod  ; 

That  love  might  last  forever, 
And  we,  in  future,  find 
There  is  no  power  to  sever 
The  strong  and  true  in  mind." 

As  he  sang  the  last  verse  there  was  also  a  rapid 
change  in  the  expression  of  Miss  Burton's  face. 
There  was  something  of  her  old  pallor  that  has  been 
mentioned  before.  She  looked  at  him  questioningly 
a  moment  as  if  to  see  if  he  were  consciously  making 
an  allusion  that  touched  her  very  nearly,  and  then, 
seemingly  overcome  by  some  sudden  emotion  that 
she  would  gladly  hide,  she  quickly  vanished  down  the 
dimly  lighted  hallway,  and  was  seen  no  more  until 


NEW  FORCES  DEVELOPING. 


191 


she  came  down  to  breakfast  the  following  morning,  as 
smiling  and  cheery  as  ever. 

"  Confound  you,  Van,"  said  Stanton,  as  the  artist 
escaped  from  the  thanks  of  the  audience  into  the  hall, 
"  What  did  you  put  that  last  verse  in  for  ?  You  made 
her  think  of  seeing  her  dead  friends  again,  and  so 
she  was  in  no  mood  to  speak  to  us  poor  mortals  who 
are  still  plodding  on  in  this  '  vale  of  tears.'  I'd  give 
my  ears  for  a  quiet  chat  with  her  to-night.  By  Jove, 
I  never  was  so  stirred  up  before,  and  could  turn 
Christian,  Mohammedan,  Buddhist,  or  anything  else, 
if  she  asked  me  to." 

"  In  either  case,  Ik,"  said  Van  Berg,  "your  wor 
ship  would  be  the  same,  I  imagine,  and  would  never 
rise  higher  than  the  priestess." 

"  Curse  it  all,"  exclaimed  Stanton  impetuously, 
"  I  feel  to-night  as  if  that  were  higher  than  I  can  ever 
rise.  I  never  was  afraid  of  a  woman  before  ;  but  no 
*  divinity '  ever  '  hedged  a  king  '  like  that  which  fills 
me  with  an  indescribable  awe  when  I  approach  this 
unassuming  little  woman  who  usually  seems  no  more 
formidable  than  a  flickering  sunbeam.  I  agree  with 
you  now.  She  has  evidently  had  some  deep  experi 
ence  in  the  past  that  gives  to  her  character  a  power 
and  depth  that  we  only  half  undefstand.  I  wish  I 
knew  her  better." 

"  Good-night,"  said  Van  Berg,  a  little  abruptly; 
"  I  think  that  after  this  evening's  experience,  neither 
of  us  is  in  the  mood  for  further  talk." 

Stanton  looked  after  him  with  a  lowering  brow 
and  muttered:  <(  Is  he  so  sensitive  on  this  subject? 
By  Jove.  I'm  sorry  !  I  fear  we  must  become  rivals, 


192  '^   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Van.  And  yet,"  he  added  with  a  despairing  gesture, 
"  what  chance  would  I  have  with  him  against  me  ?  " 

"  I  could  not  hear  distinctly,"  Sibley  had  remarked 
as  Ida  took  his  arm  and  walked  away  from  her 
post  of  observation.  "  Were  you  disgusted  with  his 
pious  wail  on  general  principles,  or  did  something  in 
his  theology  offend  you  ?  " 

"  It's  enough  that  I  was  not  pleased,"  she  replied 
briefly. 

"  Little  wonder.  I'm  surprised  you  stood  it  so  long. 
Van  Berg  and  Stanton  are  nice  fellows  to  lead  a  con 
venticle.  I  think  I'll  take  a  hand  at  it  myself  next 
Sunday  evening,  and  certainly  would  with  your  sup- 
port.  I'll  say  nothing  of  the  singer,  but  if  you  will 
go  with  me  to  the  rustic  seat  in  yonder  shady  walk, 
I'll  sing  you  a  song  that  I  know  will  be  more  to  your 
taste  than  any  you  have  heard  this  evening." 

"'  Please  excuse  me,  Mr.  Sibley;  I'm  afraid  of  the 
night  air." 

"You  are  unusually  prudent,"  he  said,  a  little 
tauntingly. 

"  Which  proves  that  I  possess  at  least  one  good 
quality,"  she  replied. 

"  Perhaps  if  Mr.  Van  Berg  asked  you  to  go  you 
would  take  the  risk." 

"  Perhaps  I  might,"  she  admitted,  half  unconscious 
ly  and  from  the  mere  force  of  habit,  giving  the  natural 
answer  of  a  coquette. 

"  He  had  better  not  cross  my  path,"  said  Sibley, 
with  sudden  vindictiveness. 

"  Come,  come  !  "  replied  Miss  Mayhew,  with  a 
careless  laugh,  "  let's  have  no  high  tragedy.  I'm  in 


NEW  FORCES  DEVELOPING.  IO/3 

no  mood  for  it  to-night,  and  you  have  no  occasion  for 
alarm.  If  he  crosses  your  path  he  will  step  daintily 
over  it  at  right  angles." 

At  that  moment  Van  Berg  came  out  on  the  piazza. 
Although  he  could  not  hear  her  words,  her  laugh  and 
tones  jarred  unpleasantly  on  his  ear. 

"  Yonder  is  a  genuine  affinity,"  he  muttered/*  which 
I  was  a  fool  to  think  I  could  break  up  ;  "  and  with  a 
slight  contemptuous  gesture  he  turned  on  his  heel  and 
went  to  his  room. 

."  I  cannot  altogether  understand  you  this  evening, 
Miss  Mayhew,"  said  Sibley,  with  some  resentment 
in  his  tone. 

"  You  are  not  to  blame  for  that,  Mr.  Sibley,  for  I 
do  not  understand  myself.  I  have  not  felt  well  to 
day,  and  so  had  better  say  good-night." 

But  before  she  could  leave  him  he  seized  her  hand 
and  exclaimed,  in  his  soft,  insinuating  tones  : 

"  That  then  is  the  only  trouble  between  us.  Next 
Saturday  evening  I  shall  find  you  your  old  charming 
self?" 

(<  Perhaps,"  was  her  unsatisfactory  answer. 

With  a  step  that  grew  slower  and  heavier  every 
moment,  she  went  to  her  room,  turned  up  the  light, 
and  looked  fixedly  at  herself  in  the  glass. 

"I  wish  that  outward  beauty 
Were  the  mirror  of  the  heart," 

she  repeated  inaudibly,  and  then  her  exquisite  lip 
curled  in  self-contempt. 

"  Ida,  what  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  "   drawled 
her  mother,  looking   through  the  open  door-way  of 
9 


194  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

her  adjacent  room.  "  You  act  as  if  you  were  de 
mented." 

"  Why  did  you  make  me  what  I  am  ?  "  she  exclaim 
ed,  turning  upon  her  mother  in  sudden  passion. 

"  Good  gracious  !  what  are  you  ?  "  ejaculated  that 
matter-of-fact  lady. 

"  I'm  as  good  as  you  are — as  good  as  our  set  aver 
ages,  I  suppose,"  she  answered  in  a  weary,  careless 
tone.  "  Good  night ;  "  and  she  closed  and  locked 
her  door. 

"Oh,  pshaw!"  said 'Mrs.  Mayhew,  petulantly; 
"those  hymns  have  made  her  out  of  sorts  with  herself 
and  everything.  They  used  to  stir  me  up  in  the  same 
way.  Why  can't  people  learn  to  perform  their  re 
ligious  duties  properly  and  then  let  the  matter  rest ;  " 
and  with  a  yawn  she  retired  at  peace  with  herself 
and  all  the  world. 

Ida  threw  herself  on  a  lounge  and  looked  straight 
before  her  with  that  fixed,  vacant  stare  which  indi 
cates  that  nothing  is  seen  save  by  the  eye  of  the 
mind. 

"  Father's  drunk  to-night,"  she  moaned  ;  "  I  know 
it  as  surely  as  if  I  saw  him.  I  also  know  that  I'm  in 
part  to  blame  for  it.  Could  outward  beauty  mask  a 
blacker  heart  than  mine  ?  It  does  not  mask  it  from 
him  who  sang  those  words,"  and  she  buried  her  face 
in  her  hands  and  sobbed,  until,  exhausted  and  dis 
heartened,  she  sought  such  poor  rest  and  respite  as 
a  few  hours  of  troubled  sleep  could  bring. 


LOVE  PUT  TO    WORK. 


195 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

LOVE   PUT  TO   WORK. 

ON  the  following  day  there  was  the  usual  bustle  of 
change  and  departure  that  is  characteristic  of  a 
large  summer  resort  on  Monday  morning.  Stanton 
found  Mrs.  Mayhew  very  ready  to  occupy  the  seats  he 
had  obtained,  and  all  the  more  so  from  his  statement 
of  the  fact  that  several  others  had  spoken  for  them. 

"  Ida,  my  dear,"  called  her  mother  ;  "  come  here, 
I've  good  news  for  you.  Ik  has  got  us  out  of  that 
odious  corner  of  the  dining-room,  and  secured  seats 
for  us  at  Mr.  Van  Berg's  table." 

"  I  wish  no  seat  there,"  she  said,  decisively. 

"  Oh,  its  all  arranged,  my  dear  ;  and  a  good  many 
others  want  the  seats,  but  Ik  was  too  prompt." 

"  I'll  stay  where  I  am,"  said  Ida,  sullenly. 

"  And  have  every  one  in  the  house  asking  why  ?  " 
added  Stanton,  provokingly.  '*  Mr.  Van  Berg  treats 
you  as  a  gentleman  should.  Why  cannot  you  act 
like  a  lady  toward  him  ?  If  I  were  you  I  would  not 
carry  my  preferences  for  the  Sibley  style  of  fellows  so 
far  that  I  could  not  be  civil  to  a  man  like  my  friend." 

"  You  misjudge  me,"  cried  Ida,  passionately. 

"  You  have  a  strange  way  of  proving  it.  All  that 
is  asked  of  you  is  to  sit  at  the  same  table  with  a 


196  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

gentleman  who  has  won  the  respect  and  admiration 
of  every  one  in  the  hotel,  whose  society  is  peculiarly 
agreeable  to  your  mother  and  myself,  and  who  has 
also  shown  unusual  courtesy  towards  you  ever  since 
he  learned  who  you  were.  What  else  can  I  think — 
what  else  can  others  think,  than  that  your  taste  leans 
so  decidedly  to  the  Sibley  style  that  you  cannot  even 
be  polite  to  a  man  of  high  culture  and  genuine 
worth?" 

"  You  are  too  severe,  Ik,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew. 
"  For  some  reason  that  I  cannot  fathom,  Ida  does  not 
like  this  artist  ;  and  yet  I  think  myself  that  she  would 
subject  herself  to  very  unpleasant  remarks  if  she  made 
any  trouble  about  sitting  at  the  same  table  with  him." 

<(  Can  you  not  see,"  retorted  Ida,  irritably,  "  that  Ik 
has  not  considered  us  at  all,  but  only  himself  ?  He 
wishes  to  be  near  Miss  Burton,  and  without  giving 
us  any  chance  to  object,  has  made  all  the  arrange 
ments  so  that  we  must  either  comply  or  else  be  the 
talk  of  the  house.  It's  just  a  piece  of  his  selfishness," 
she  concluded  with  tears  of  vexation  in  her  eyes. 

"  Oh,  come  Ida  !"  said  her  mother  coaxingly,  "  I 
can  see  only  a  mole-hill  in  this  matter,  and  I  wouldn't 
make  a  mountain  out  of  it.  As  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
I  should  enjoy  the  change  very  much,  and,  as  you  say, 
the  affair  has  gone  too  far  now  to  make  objection.  I 
do  not  intend  that  either  you  or  myself  shall  be  the 
subject  of  unpleasant  remark." 

And  so  the  matter  was  settled,  but  Ida's  coldness 
and  constraint,  when  they  all  met  at  dinner,  very 
clearly  indicated  that  the  change  had  been  made 
without  her  consent.  Van  Berg  addressed  her  affably 


LOVE  PUT  TO    WORK.  IO/7 

two  or  three  times,  but  received  brief  and  discourag 
ing  answers. 

"  Your  cousin  evidently  is  not  pleased  with  the 
new  arrangement  you  have  brought  about.  I  cannot 
see  what  I  have  done  of  late  to  vex  her." 

"  I'll  tell  you  the  trouble.  You  offend  her  by  not 
being  the  counterpart  of  Mr.  Sibley,"  said  Stanton, 
irritably. 

Van  Berg's  brow  darkened.  "Do  you  think," 
he  asked  in  a  meaning  tone,  "  that  she  understands 
what  kind  of  a  man  he  is  ?  " 

"  Oh,  she  knows  that  he  can  dance,  flirt,  and  talk 
nonsense,  and  she  asks  for  nothing  more  and  thinks 
of  nothing  further.  I'm  out  of  patience  with  her." 

Stanton's  words  contained  the  most  plausible 
explanation  of  Ida's  conduct  that  occurred  to  Van 
Berg.  The  episode  in  the  stage  had  made  them 
acquainted,  and  her  preconceived  prejudice  and  hos 
tility  had  been  so  far  removed  as  to  permit  a  certain 
degree  of  social  companionship,  whose  result  would 
now  seem  only  increased  dislike  and  distaste.  As  he 
supposed  she  would  express  herself,  "  he  was  not  of 
her  style."  Had  she  not  spent  the  greater  part  of 
Sunday  afternoon  and  evening  with  Sibley  ?  What 
'other  conclusion  was  there  save  that  he  was  "  of  her 
style,"  congenial  both  in  thought  and  character ! 
And  yet  he  still  refused  to  entertain  the  belief  that 
she  recognized  in  him  more  than  a  fashionable  man 
of  the  world. 

If  only  as  the  result  of  the  pique  originating  on  the 
evening  of  the  concert,  Ida  Mayhew  had  stood  aloof 
from  him,  he  could  hope  to  remove  this  early  preju- 


198  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

dice  by  better  acquaintance.  But  if  fuller  acquaint 
ance  increased  her  aversion,  then  he  must  believe 
that  the  defects  in  her  character  were  radical,  in 
wrought  through  the  whole  web  and  woof  of  her 
nature.  He  could  not  assume  the  "  Sibley  style  "  if 
he  would,  and  would  not  if  he  could,  were  her  beauty, 
a  hundred-fold  greater,  were  that  possible. 

He  was  fast  coming  to  the  conclusion,  therefore, 
that  he  must  abandon  the  project  which  had  so 
fascinated  him,  and  whose  success  had  so  strongly 
kindled  his  imagination.  And  yet  he  did  so  reluc 
tantly,  very  regretfully,  chafing  only  as  the  strong- 
willed  do  when  confronted  and  thwarted  by  that 
which  is  only  apparently  impossible,  and  which  they 
still  feel  might  and  ought  to  be  accomplished. 

"  I  feel  as  the  old  alchemists  must  have  done,"  he 
often  thought.  "  Here  is  a  base  metal.  Why  can  I 
not  transmute  it  into  gold  ?  " 

But  as  the  conviction  of  his  impotence  grew  upon 
him  he  felt  something  like  resentment  toward  the  one 
who  had  thwarted  his  purpose ;  and  so  it  naturally 
happened  that  when  they  met  again  at  the  supper- 
table,  his  cool  and  indifferent  manner  corresponded 
with  that  of  Miss  Mayhew  to  a  degree  that  gave  her 
a  deeper  pain  than  she  could  understand. 

"  Why  should  she  care  ?  "  she  asked  herself  a  hun 
dred  times  that  evening.  But  the  unpleasant  truth 
hourly  grew  more  plain  to  her  that  she  did  care. 

Stanton  and  her  mother  quietly  ignored  her  "  foolish 
pique,"  as  they  termed  it.  In  truth  the  former  was  so 
preoccupied  with  Miss  Burton,  and  with  jealousy  of 
his  friend,  that  he  had  few  thoughts  for  anything  else. 


LOVE  PUT  TO    WORK. 


199 


He  admitted  to  himself  that  he  had  never  before 
been  so  thoroughly  fascinated  and  awakened  ;  and  it 
was  in  accordance  with  his  pleasure-loving,  self-in 
dulgent  nature  to  drift  on  this  shining  tide  whither 
soever  it  might  carry  him. 

But  with  a  growing  feeling  of  disquietude  he  saw 
that  Van  Berg  also  was  deeply  interested  in  Miss 
Burton,  and,  what  was  worse,  he  thought  he  detected 
an  answering  interest  on  her  part. 

Occasionally,  when  the  artist's  face  was  turned 
away  so  that  she  obtained  a  good  profile  view  of  it, 
Stanton  observed  her  looking  at  him  with  an  expres 
sion  which  both  puzzled  and  troubled  him.  She  seem 
ed  to  forget  everything  and  every  one,  and  to  gaze  for 
a  moment  with  a  wistful,  longing  intensity  that  he 
would  give  his  fortune  for  were  the  glance  directed 
toward  himself.  And  yet  when  Van  Berg  addressed 
her,  sought  her  society,  met  her  suddenly,  there  was 
no  heightening  of  color,  nor  a  trace  of  the  "  sweet 
confusion "  that  is  usually  inseparable  from  a  new 
and  growing  affection  in  a  maiden's  heart. 

Apart  from  this  occasional,  furtive,  and  wistful  look 
during  which  her  cheeks  would  grow  pale  and  she 
appear  for  the  moment  oblivious  of  present  surround 
ings,  her  manner  toward  the  artist  was  as  frank  and 
natural  as  toward  any  one  else.  It  was  evident  that 
she  liked  and  respected  him,  but  even  his  jealousy 
could  not  detect  the  certainty  of  anything  more. 

But  what  was  the  tendency  of  Van  Berg's  mind 
toward  her  ?  That  was  the  question  which  troubled 
him  more  and  more  every  day.  From  the  time  of 
their  parting  on  the  previous  Sabbath  evening  there 


200  ^  FACE  ILLUMINED, 

had  been  a  growing  reluctance  on  the  part  of  each  to 
speak  of  one  who  so  largely  occupied  the  thoughts 
of  both.  The  old  jest  and  banter  about  the  "  school- 
ma'am  "  ceased  utterly,  and  they  only  mentioned  her 
occasionally  as  "Miss  Burton."  The  old  frank  confi 
dence  between  them  diminished  daily,  and  in  their 
secret  consciousness  they  began  to  recognize  the  fact 
that  they  might  soon  become  open  rivals. 

The  attitude  of  Van  Berg  toward  the  young 
stranger  who  had  so  deeply  interested  him  from  the 
first  hour  of  their  meeting,  was  peculiar  but  charac 
teristic.  His  reason  approved  of  her.  Never  before 
had  he  met  a  woman  who  had  seemed  endowed  with 
so  many  attractive  qualities.  She  was  not  beautiful, 
—  a  cardinal  virtue  with  him  —  but  her  face  often 
lighted  up  with  something  so  near  akin  to  beauty  as 
to  leave  little  cause  to  regret  its  absence.  But  the 
conviction  grew  upon  him  that  the  spirit  enshrined 
within  the  graceful  and  fragile  form  was  almost 
perfection  itself. 

It  became  clearer  to  him  every  day  that  some  deep 
experience  or  sorrow  had  so  thoroughly  refined  away 
the  dross  of  her  nature  as  to  make  her  seem  the 
embodiment  of  truth  and  purity.  What  though  she 
still  maintained  complete  reticence  as  to  the  past, 
avoiding  in  their  conversations  all  allusion  to  herself, 
as  far  as  possible  ;  he  still,  in  his  inmost  soul,  knew  he 
could  trust  her,  and  that  while  her  smiling  face,  like 
the  sunlit  rippling  surface  of  mountain  lakes  not  far 
away,  might  hide  dark,  silent  depths,  it  concealed 
nothing  impure. 

He  also  felt  that  there  was  no  occasion  to  imagine 


LOVE   PUT   TO    WORK,  2OI 

any  deep  mystery  to  be  a  part  of  her  past  history. 
The  facts  that  she  was  poor  and  orphaned  suggested 
all  the  explanations  needed,  and  he  felt  sure  that  the 
sorrows  she  so  sacredly  and  unselfishly  shrouded  from 
the  general  view  would  be  frankly  revealed  to  the  man 
who  might  win  the  right  to  comfort  and  sustain  her. 

Could  he  win  this  right  ?  Did  he  wish  to  win  it  ? 
As  day  after  day  passed  he  felt  this  question  to  be 
growing  more  and  more  vitally  important. 

He  was  not  one  he  believed  who,  like  Stanton,  could 
be  carried  away  by  a  sudden  and  absorbing  passion. 
In  any  and  every  case,  reason,  judgment,  and  taste 
would  offer  their  counsel,  and  their  advice  would  be 
carefully  weighed.  With  increasing  distinctness,  this 
cabinet  within  his  own  breast  urged  him  to  observe 
this  maiden  well  lest  the  chief  opportunity  of  his  life 
pass  beyond  recall. 

And  he  did  study  her  character  carefully.  Stanton, 
with  the  keen  pain  of  jealousy,  and  Ida  Mayhew  with  a 
disquiet  and  sinking  of  heart  that  she  could  not  under 
stand,  noted  that  he  very  quietly  and  unobtrusively 
sought  her  society.  When  she  spoke,  he  listened. 
When  it  was  possible  without  attracting  attention  his 
eyes  followed  her,  and  yet  his  conduct  was  governed 
so  thoroughly  by  good  taste  and  a  chivalric  regard 
for  the  lady  herself,  that  only  eyes  rendered  penetrat 
ing  by  the  promptings  of  the  heart  would  have  seen 
anything  more  than  the  general  friendliness  which  she 
inspired  on  every  side. 

Stanton,  on  the  contrary,  grew  more  undisguised 
and  demonstrative  in  his  attentions,  although  he  aimed 
to  conceal  his  feeling  under  the  humorous  and  ban- 
9* 


2Q2  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

tering  style  of  address  that  was  habitual  with  him. 
The  guests  of  the  house  were  not  very  long  in  recog 
nizing  in  him  an  admirer  of  Miss  Burton,  but  they 
imagined  that  his  devotion  was  caused  more  by  a 
wish  to  while  away  his  idle  hours  than  from  any  other 
motive  ;  and  it  was  also  quite  evident  that  the  young 
lady  herself  took  the  same  view.  She  gave  a  light 
and  humorous  aspect  to  everything  he  said,  and  per 
mitted  him  scarcely  an  opportunity  for  a  solitary  tete- 
a-tete.  In  vain  he  placed  his  bays  and  buggy  at  her 
disposal. 

"  I  am  social  and  gregarious  in  my  tastes,"  she 
would  reply,  "  and  need  the  exhilaration  of  a  party 
to  enjoy  myself." 

Thus  Stanton  was  led  to  a  course  of  action  decidedly 
in  contrast  with  his  past  tendencies.  He  would  attach 
his  bays  to  a  roomy  carriage,  giving  her  a  carte- 
blanche  in  making  up  the  party  if  she  would  be  one 
of  the  number.  He  would  perspire  like  a  hero  in 
any  boating  excursion  or  picnic  that  she  would  origi 
nate  ;  and  thus  the  fastidious  and  elegant  fellow  often 
found  himself  in  unwonted  company,  for,  with  an 
instinct  peculiarly  her  own,  she  soon  found  out  the 
comparatively  poor  and  neglected  in  the  hotel,  and 
appeared  to  derive  her  chief  pleasure  in  enlivening 
their  dull  days.  Quick-witted  Stanton  early  learned 
that  the  surest  way  of  winning  a  smile  from  her  was 
to  be  polite  to  people  that,  hitherto,  he  had  habitually 
ignored.  To  Miss  Burton  herself  he  made  no  secret 
of  the  fact  that  his  course  was  prompted  only  by  a 
desire  to  please  her,  but  she  smilingly  persisted  in  as 
cribing  it  all  to  his  good-nature  and  kindness  of  heart. 


MAWS  HIGHEST  HONOR. 


203 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

MAN'S   HIGHEST   HONOR. 

VAN  BERG  had  not  been  very  long  in  discovering 
that  Miss  Burton  had  a  ruling  passion,  and  it 
seemed  to  him  a  rather  unique  one.  He  was  familiar 
with  the  many  forms  of  self-seeking,  common  in 
society ;  he  knew  of  those  who  were  devoted  to  liter 
ature,  science,  or  some  favorite  calling,  as  he  was  to 
his  art ;  he  had  seen  a  few  who  apparently  so  abound 
ed  in  genial  good-nature  that  they  rarely  lost  an 
opportunity  of  performing  a  kind  act ;  and  there  were 
men  and  women  in  the  world  who,  he  believed,  had 
fully  consecrated  themselves  to  the  work  of  doing 
good  from  the  purest  and  divinest  motives  :  but  he 
did  not  remember  of  ever  having  met  with  one  whose 
whole  thought  appeared  bent  on  disseminating  imme 
diate  sunshine. 

And  yet  this  seemed  true  of  Miss  Burton.  With 
admirable  tact,  with  a  tireless  patience,  and  an  energy 
out  of  proportion  in  one  so  fragile,  she  kept  herself 
quietly  and  unobtrusively  busy  among  the  miscel 
laneous  people  of  the  house.  Her  charity  was  wide 
enough  for  all.  Wherever  she  could  discover  gloom, 
despondency,  dulness,  or  pain,  there  she  tried  to 
shine  like  a  sunbeam,  as  if  that  were  the  primal  law  of 


204  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

her  being.  She  rarely  sought  to  "  do  good  "  in  the 
ordinary  acceptance  of  the  term  ;  still  more  rarely 
did  she  speak  of  her  own  personal  faith  ;  to  cheer  and 
to  brighten  appeared  to  be  her  one  constant  impulse. 
It  was  evident  that  this  had  become  a  kind  of  second 
nature  in  her  now ;  but  the  thought  occurred  more 
than  once  to  Van  Berg  that  she  had  adopted  this 
course  at  first  to  escape  from  herself  and  her  own  un 
happy  memories.  Every  day  increased  the  convic 
tion  that  sorrow  was  the  black,  heavy  soil  that  pro 
duced  this  constant  bloom  of  unselfish  deeds. 

Before  the  week  was  over  she  gave  him  special 
reason  to  believe  that  this  was  true.  They  were 
walking  up  and  down  the  piazza  one  evening  and  had 
been  talking  with  much  animation  on  a  subject  of 
mutual  interest.  But  she  proved  that  there  was  in 
her  mind  a  deeper  and  stronger  current  of  thought 
than  that  which  had  been  apparent.  As  the  duskiness 
increased,  and  as  in  their  promenade  their  faces  were 
turned  away  from  those  who  might  have  observed 
them,  she  said  a  little  abruptly  and  yet  with  tremu 
lous  hesitancy  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  does  your  philosophy  teach  you 
to  believe,  as  you  sung,  on  Sabbath  evening,  that 

'  There  is  no  power  to  sever 
The  strong  and  true  in  mind  ?  '  " 

Before  answering  he  turned  to  look  at  her.  Her 
face  seemed  to  stand  out  from  the  gloom  of  the  night 
with  a  light  of  its  own,  and  was  so  white  and  eager 
as  to  be  almost  spirit-like.  His  tones  were  sad  as 
he  replied : 


MAWS  HIGHEST  HONOR.  205 

"  I  wish  I  could  answer  you  otherwise  than  as  I 
must,  for  the  impulse  to  say  some  words  of  comfort, 
which  I  feel  you  need,  is  very  strong.  I  only  sang 
of  what  I  wished  on  Sunday  evening.  I  have  little 
philosophy,  and  still  less  of  definite  belief  in  regard  to 
the  future  life.  While  I  am  not  a  theoretic  skeptic, 
all  questions  of  faith  are  to  me  so  vague  and  incom 
prehensible  that  I  am  a  practical  materialist,  and  live 
only  in  the  present  hour." 

"  But,  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tremulous 
tone,  "  can  you  not  understand  that  some  people 
cannot  live  in  the  present  hour,  try  as  they  may  ? 
Oh,  how  desperately  hard  I  try  to  do  so  !  Can  you 
not  imagine  that  something  in  one's  past  may  make  a 
future  necessary  to  save  from  despair  ?  If  I  lost  my 
hold  on  that  future  I  should  go  mad,"  she  added  in  a 
whisper.  "  How  can  any  materialistic  philosophy  be 
true  when  it  fails  us  and  so  bitterly  disappoints  us  in 
our  need  ?  " 

"I  do  not  say  it  is  true,"  he  replied,  earnestly. 
"  Indeed  your  words  and  manner  prove  to  me,  as 
could  no  labored  argument,  what  a  poor  superficial 
thing  it  is.  I  feel,  with  the  force  of  conviction,  that  it 
can  no  more  meet  your  need  than  could  the  husks 
which  the  swine  did  eat." 

"  Since  you  were  sincere,  I  will  be  also,"  she  con-' 
tinued  in  the  same  low  tone,  looking  away  from  him 
into  the  dark  cloudy  sky.  "  As  the  hymn  I  sung 
may  have  suggested  to  you,  I  have  not  got  very  far 
beyond  mere  submission  and  hope.  Something  in 
my  own  soul  as  well  as  in  revelation  tells  me  that 
there  is  a  '  happier  shore,'  and  I  am  trying  to  reach 


206  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

it ;  but  the  way,  too  often,  is  like  that  sky,  utterly 
opaque  and  rayless." 

"  I  regret  more  deeply  than  you  can  ever  know, 
Miss  Burton,  that  I  find  nothing  in  my  own  knowledge 
or  experience  to  help  you.  All  I  can  offer  is  my 
honest  sympathy,  and  that  you  have  had  from  the 
first ;  for  from  the  time  of  our  first  meeting  the 
impression  has  been  growing  upon  me  that  your 
character  had  obtained  its  power  and  beauty  through 
some  deep  and  sorrowful  experience.  But  while  I  am 
unable  to  give  you  any  help,  perhaps  I  can  suggest  a 
pleasant  thought  from  your  own  illustration.  The 
black  clouds  yonder  which  seem  to  you  a  true  type 
of  the  shadows  that  have  fallen  across  your  path,  are, 
after  all,  but  a  film  in  the  sky.  The  sun,  and  a  mul 
titude  of  other  luminous  worlds,  are  shining  beyond 
them  in  the  heavens.  I  would  I  had  your  chances  of 
reaching  a  *  happier  shore.' ' 

.  "  That's  a  pretty  sentiment,"  she  said,  shaking  her 
head  slowly  ;  "  but  those  luminous  worlds  are  a  great 
way  off,  with  cold  and  vast  reaches  of  space  between 
them.  Besides,  a  luminous  world  would  not  do  me 

one  bit  of  good.     I  want "  she  stopped  abruptly 

with  something  like  a  low  sob.  "  There,  there,"  she 
resumed  hastily  dashing  away  a  few  tears.  "  I  have 
occupied  your  thoughts  too  long  with  my  forlorn 
little  self.  I  did  not  mean  to  show  this  weakness,  but 
have  been  betrayed  into  doing  so,  I  think,  because 
you  impressed  me  as  being  honest,  and  I  thought 
that  perhaps — perhaps  your  man's  reason  might  have 
thought  out  some  argument  or  probable  conjecture 
relating  to  the  subject  that,  for  causes  obvious  to 


MAM'S  HIGHEST  HONOR. 


207 


you,  would  be  naturally  interesting  to  one  so  alone 
in  the  world  as  I  am." 

"  I  am  sorry  indeed  that  I  never  used  my  reason 
to  so  good  a  purpose,"  he  replied;  "  and  yet,  as  I 
said  at  first,  these  subjects  have  ever  seemed  to 
me  so  above  and  beyond  my  reason  that  I  have 
carelessly  given  them  the  go-by.  My  profession 
has  wholly  absorbed  me  since  I  have  been  capable 
of  anything  worth  the  name  of  thought,  and  the 
world,  toward  which  your  mind  is  turning,  is  so 
large  and  vague  that  I  cannot  even  follow  you,  much 
less  guide." 

She  sighed:  "  It  is  indeed  Marge  and  vague.'" 
Then  she  added  in  firm,  quiet  tones  :  "  Mr.  Van  Berg, 
please  forget  what  I  have  said.  The  weak  must  show 
their  weakness  at  times  in  spite  of  themselves,  and 
your  kindness  and  sincerity  have  beguiled  me  into 
inflicting  myself  upon  you." 

"  You  ask  that  which  is  impossible,  Miss  Burton," 
he  replied  earnestly.  "  I  cannot  forget  what  you 
have  said,  nor  do  I  wish  to.  I  need  not  assure  you, 
however,  that  I  regard  your  confidence  as  sacred  as 
if  it  came  from  my  own  sister.  Will  you  also  let  me 
say  that  I  never  felt  so  honored  before  in  my  life  as 
I  have  to-night,  in  the  fact  that  I  seemed  to  your 
woman's  intuition  worthy  of  your  trust." 

They  were  now  turned  towards  the  light  that 
streamed  dimly  from  one  of  the  windows.  She  looked 
up  to  him  with  a  bright,  grateful  smile,  but  she  ap 
parently  saw  something  in  his  eager  face  and  manner 
which  checked  her  smile  as  suddenly  as  if  he  had 
been  an  apparition. 


2o8  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

She  gave  him  her  hand,  saying  hastily,  "  Good 
night,  Mr.  Van  Berg  ;  I  thank  you.  I — I — do  not 
feel  very  well,"  and  she  passed  swiftly  to  a  side  door 
and  disappeared. 


A    WRETCHED  SECRET  THAT  MUST  BE  KEPT.     209 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A  WRETCHED   SECRET  THAT  MUST  BE  KEPT. 

THE  interview  described  in  the  previous  chapter 
touched  Van  Berg  deeply,  but  its  close  puz 
zled  him.  Under  the  influence  of  his  aroused  feelings 
had  his  face  expressed  more  than  mere  sympathy? 
Had  her  strong  intuition,  that  was  like  a  second  sight, 
interpreted  his  heart  more  clearly  than  he  had  been 
able  to  understand  it  himself  as  yet  ?  Reason  and  judg 
ment,  his  privy  council,  had  already  begun  to  advise 
him  to  win  if  possible  this  unselfish  maiden,  who  with 
a  divine  alchemy  transmuted  her  shadows  into  sun 
shine  for  others,  and  often  suggested  the  thought,  if 
she  can  do  this  in  sorrow,  how  inexpressibly  happy 
she  might  make  you  and  your  aged  father  and  mother 
if  you  could  first  find  out  in  some  way  how  to  make 
her  happy. 

Indeed,  so  clear  a  case  did  these  counsellors  make 
out,  that  conscience  added  her  authoritative  voice 
also,  and  assured  him  that  he  would  be  false  to  him 
self  and  his  future  did  he  not,  to  the  utmost,  avail 
himself  of  the  opportunity  of  winning  one  whose 
society  from  the  first  had  been  an  inspiration  to  bet 
ter  thoughts  and  better  living. 

Until  this  evening  his  heart  had  remained  sluggish. 


2IO  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Sweet  and  potent  as  her  voice  had  been,  it  had  not 
penetrated  to  the  "  holy  of  holies  "  within  his  soul. 
But  had  not  her  low  sad  tones  echoed  there  to-night 
in  the  half  involuntary  confidence  she  had  given  him  ? 

In  his  deep  sympathy,  in  the  answering  feeling 
evoked  by  her  strong  but  repressed  emotion,  he 
thought  his  heart  had  been  stirred  to  its  depths,  and 
that  henceforth  its  chief  desire  would  be  to  banish  the 
sorrowful  memories  typified  to  her  mind  by  the  black 
clouds  above  him.  Had  his  face  revealed  this  impulse 
of  his  heart  before  he  had  been  fully  conscious  of  it 
himself  ?  Was  it  an  unwelcome  discovery,  that  she 
so  hastily  fled  from  it  ?  Or  had  she  been  only  startled 
— her  maidenly  reserve  shrinking  from  the  first  fore 
shadowing  of  the  supreme  request  that  she  should 
unvail  the  mysteries  of  her  life  to  one  who  but  now 
had  been  a  stranger  ?  He  did  not  know.  He  felt  he 
scarcely  understood  her  or  himself ;  but  he  was  con 
scious  of  a  hope  that  both  might  meet  their  happy 
fate  in  each  other. 

He  leaned  thus  for  a  time  absorbed  in  thought 
against  a  pillar  where  she  had  left  him,  then  sauntered 
with  bowed  head  and  preoccupied  manner  to  the  main 
entrance,  down  the  steps  and  out  into  the  darkness. 
He  did  not  even  notice  that  he  passed  Ida  Mayhew, 
where  she  stood  among  a  group  of  gay  chattering 
young  people.  Still  less  did  he  know  that  she  had 
been  furtively  watching  his  interview  with  Miss  Burton, 
and  that  when  he  passed  her  without  a  glance  her  face 
was  as  pale  as  had  been  that  of  the  object  of  his 
thoughts.  But  he  had  not  strolled  very  far  down  a 
gravelled  path  before  she  compelled  him  to  distin- 


A  WRETCHED  SECRET  THAT  MUST  BE  KEPT.     211 

guish  her   reckless   laugh   and   tones   above   all  the 
others. 

With  an  impatient  gesture  he  muttered,  "  God 
made  them  both,  I  suppose ;  and  so  there's  another 
mystery." 

As  Van  Berg's  interest  in  Miss  Burton  had  deep 
ened,  it  had  naturally  flagged  toward  the  one  whose 
marvellously  fair  features  had  first  caught  his  attention 
and  now  promised  to  be  links  in  a  chain  of  causes 
that  might  produce  effects  little  anticipated.  He  had 
virtually  abandoned  the  project  of  seeking  to  ennoble 
and  harmonize  these  features  that  suggested  new 
possibilities  of  beauty  to  almost  every  glance,  for  the 
reason  that  he  not  only  believed  there  was  no  mind 
to  be  awakened,  but  also  because  he  had  been  led  to 
think  the  girl  so  depraved  and  selfish  at  heart  that  the 
very  thought  of  a  larger,  purer  life  was  repugnant  to 
her.  He  believed  she  disliked  and  even  detested 
him,  not  so  much  on  personal  grounds  as  because  he 
represented  to  her  mind  a  class  of  ideas  and  a  self-re 
straint  that  were  hateful.  Circumstances  had  associa 
ted  her  in  his  mind  with  Sibley,  who  thus  cast  a  bale 
ful  shadow  athwart  even  her  beauty  and  made  it  repul 
sive.  Indeed  the  mocking  perfection  of  her  features 
irritated  him,  and  he  began  to  make  a  conscious  and 
persistent  effort  not  to  look  toward  her.  He  now  re 
garded  his  hope  to  illumine  her  face  from  within,  by 
delicate  touches  of  mind,  thought,  and  motive,  as  vain 
as  an  attempt  to  carve  the  Venus  of  Milo  out  of  mot 
tled  pumice-stone.  Still  he  did  not  regret  to-night 
the  freak  of  fancy  that  had  brought  him  to  the  Lake 
House,  since  it  had  led  to  his  meeting  a  woman  who 


212  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

was  to  him  a  new  and  beautiful  revelation  of  the 
rarest  excellence  and  grace. 

But  there  was  no  such  compensating  outlook  for 
poor  Ida.  To  her,  his  coming  promised  daily  to  result 
in  increasing  wretchedness.  From  the  miserable 
Sunday  night  on  which  she  had  sobbed  herself  to 
sleep,  the  consciousness  had  continually  grown  clearer 
that  she  could  never  find  in  her  old  mode  of  life  any 
satisfying  pleasure.  She  had  caught  a  glimpse  of 
something  so  much  better,  that  her  former  world 
looked  as  tawdry  as  the  mimic  scenery  of  a  second- 
rate  theatre.  A  genuine  man,  such  as  she  had  not 
seen  or  at  least  not  recognized  before,  had  stepped 
out  before  the  gilt  and  tinsel,  and  the  miser 
able  shams  were  seen  in  contrast  in  their  rightful 
character. 

But,  in  bringing  the  revelation,  it  happened  he  had 
so  deeply  wounded  her  pride,  that  she  had  assured 
herself,  again  and  again,  she  would  hate  his  very  name 
as  long  as  she  lived.  Did  she  hate  him  as  she  saw 
him  absorbed  in  conversation  with  Miss  Burton  when 
ever  he  could  obtain  the  opportunity  ?  Did  she  hate 
him  as  she  saw  that  his  eyes  consciously  avoided  her 
and  rested  approvingly  on  another  woman  ?  Were 
hate  and  love  so  near  akin  ?  Could  the  belief  that  he 
despised  her  make  her  so  wretched  if  she  only  hated 
him  ? 

During  the  early  part  of  the  present  week  she  had 
struggled  almost  fiercely  to  retain  her  hold  on  her  old 
life.  Uniting  herself  to  a  clique  of  thoughtless  young 
people,  who  made  amusement  and  excitement  their 
only  pursuit,  she  seemed  to  be  the  gayest  and  most 


A  WRETCHED  SECRET  THAT  MUST  BE  KEPT.     21$ 

reckless  of  them  all,  while  her  heart  was  sinking  like 
lead.  Every  glance  toward  the  cold,  averted  face  of 
the  artist,  inspired  her  with  more  than  his  own  scorn 
toward  what  she  was  and  the  frivolities  of  her  life. 
She  tried  to  shut  her  eyes  to  the  truth,  and  clung 
desperately  to  every  impeding  trifle  ;  but  felt  all  the 
time  that  an  irresistible  tide  of  events  was  carrying 
her  toward  the  revelation  that  she  loved  a  man  who 
despised  her,  and  always  would  despise  her. 

And  on  this  night,  when  she  saw  their  dim  forms 
and  heard  their  low  tones  as  Miss  Burton  and  Van 
Berg  talked  earnestly  on  the  farther  end  of  the  piazza  ; 
when  she  saw  that  they  grasped  hands  in  parting,  and 
noted  the  rapt  look  upon  his  face  as  he  passed  her 
by  uncaringly  and  unnotingly — the  revelation  came. 
It  was  as  sharply  and  painfully  distinct  as  if  he  had 
stopped  and  plunged  a  knife  into  her  heart. 

With  all  her  faults  and  follies,  Ida  had  never  been 
a  pale  shadowy  creature,  full  of  complex  psychological 
moods  which  neither  she  nor  any  one  else  could  un 
tangle.  She  knew  whom  and  what  she  liked  and 
disliked,  and  it  was  not  her  nature  to  do  things  by 
halves.  There  had  always  been  a  kind  of  simplicity 
and  straightforwardness  even  in  her  wickedness ;  and 
she  usually  seemed  to  people  quite  as  bad,  and  in 
deed  worse,  than  she  really  was. 

Why  of  all  others  she  loved  this  man,  and  how  it 
all  had  come  about,  was  a  mystery  that  puzzled  her 
sorely ;  but  she  had  no  labyrinthine  heart  in  which 
to  play  hide  and  seek  with  her  own  consciousness. 
And  so  vividly  conscious  was  she  now  of  this  new 
and  absorbing  passion,  that  she  hastily  turned  her 


214  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

face  from  her  companions  toward  the  cloudy  sky,  that 
looked  as  dark  to  her  as  it  had  to  Jennie  Burton, 
and  for  a  moment  sought  desperately  to  recover  from 
a  dizzy,  reeling  sense  of  pain  that  was  well-nigh  over 
whelming.  Then  the  womanly  instinct  to  hide  her 
secret  asserted  itself,  and  a  moment  later  her  laugh 
jarred  discordantly  on  Van  Berg's  ears,  and  he  inter 
preted  it  as  wisely  as  have  thousands  of  others  who 
fail  to  recognize  the  truth  that  often  no  cry  of  pain  is 
so  bitter  as  a  reckless  laugh. 

A  little  later,  however,  her  companions  missed  her. 
Later  still  her  mother  sought  admission  to  her  room 
in  vain. 

When  she  came  down  to  breakfast  the  next  morn 
ing,  she  was  very  quiet  and  self-possessed,  but  her 
face  was  so  pale  and  the  traces  of  suffering  were  so 
manifest,  that  her  mother  insisted  that  she  was  not 
well. 

She  coldly  admitted  the  fact. 

The  voluble  lady  launched  out  into  an  indefinite 
number  of  questions  and  suggestions  of  remedies. 

"  Mother,"  said  Ida,  with  a  flash  of  her  eyes  and 
an  accent  which  caused  not  only  that  lady  but  several 
others  to  look  toward  her  with  a  little  surprise,  "if 
you  have  anything  further  to  say  to  me  in  regard  to 
my  health,  please  say  it  in  my  own  room." 

Van  Berg  glanced  towards  her  several  times  after 
this,  and  was  compelled  to  admit  that  whatever  fault 
he  might  justly  find,  the  face  with  which  she  con 
fronted  him  that  morning  was  anything  but  weak  and 
trivial  in  its  expression. 

But  her  icy  reserve  and  coldness  did  not  compare 


A   WRETCHED  SECRET  THAT  MUST  BE  KEPT.     215 

favorably  with  Miss  Burton,  who  had  now  fully  re 
gained  her  smiling  reticence,  acting  as  usual  as  if 
the  only  law  of  her  being  was  to  utter  genial  words 
and  to  bestow  with  consummate  tact  little  gifts  of  at 
tention  and  kindness  on  every  side,  as  the  summer 
sun  without  was  scattering  its  vivifying  rays. 


2l6  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  DELIBERATE  WOOER. 

MISS  BURTON'S  bearing  toward  Van  Berg 
was  very  friendly,  but  he  failed  to  detect  in 
her  manner  the  slightest  proof  that  she  had  ever 
thought  of  him  otherwise  than  as  a  friend.  There 
was  no  sudden  drooping  of  her  eyelashes,  or  height 
ening  of  color  when  he  spoke  to  her,  or  permitted  his 
eyes  to  dwell  upon  her  face  with  an  expression  that 
was  rather  more  than  friendly.  He  could  detect  no 
furtive  glances,  nothing  to  indicate  that  she  had 
caught  a  glimpse  of  that  secret  so  interesting  to  every 
woman  that  she  would  look  again,  though  cold  as  ice 
toward  the  man  cherishing  it.  Nor  was  there  the 
slightest  trace  of  the  constraint  and  reserve  by  which 
all  women  who  are  not  coquettes  seek  to  check,  as 
with  an  early  frost,  the  first  growth  of  an  unwelcome 
regard.  Her  manner  was  simply  what  would  be  nat 
ural  toward  a  gentleman  she  thoroughly  respected 
and  liked,  but  with  whom  her  thoughts,  for  no  hidden 
cause,  were  especially  preoccupied. 

Why  then  had  she  looked  at  him  so  strangely  the 
preceding  evening  ?  Why  had  she  apparently  shrunk 
from  the  expression  of  his  face,  as  if  she  had  seen 
there  a  revelation  so  sudden  and  overwhelming  that 


A  DELIBERATE    WOOER.  2I/ 

she  trembled  at  it  as  a  shy,  sensitive  maiden  might  in 
recognizing  the  fact  that  a  strong,  resolute  man  was 
seeking  entrance  to  the  very  citadel  of  her  heart  ? 
He  felt  himself  utterly  unable  to  explain  her  action. 

What  was  more,  he  was  puzzled  at  himself.  The 
sympathy  he  felt  for  Miss  Burton  the  previous  even 
ing  had  not  by  any  means  left  him,  but  it  was  no 
longer  a  strong  and  absorbing  emotion.  His  pulse 
was  as  calm  and  quiet  as  the  breathless  summer 
morning.  He  was  conscious  of  no  premonitory  chills 
and  thrills,  which,  according  to  his  preconceived 
notions  of  the  grand  passion,  ought  to  be  felt  even  in 
its  incipiency.  He  even  found  himself  criticising  her 
face,  and  wondering  how  features  so  ordinary  in 
themselves  could  combine  in  so  winning  and  happy 
an  effect ;  and  then  he  mentally  cursed  his  cold 
bloodedness,  and  positively  envied  Stanton  in  whose 
manner,  in  spite  of  his  efforts  at  concealment,  an 
ardent  affection  began  to  manifest  itself. 

During  the  day  it  occurred  to  him  more  than  once 
that  her  course  was  changing  toward  Stanton. 
There  was  no  less  return  on  her  part  of  his  light  ban 
tering  style  of  conversation.  Indeed,  she  seemed  to 
take  pains  to  give  a  humorous  twist  to  everything  he 
said,  as  if  she  regarded  even  the  words  in  which  he 
tried  to  unfold  his  deeper  thoughts  as  mere  jests. 
.But  Van  Berg  imagined  she  began  to  make  herself 
more  inaccessible  to  Stanton.  She  intrenched  her 
self  among  other  guests  in  the  parlor  ;  she  took  pains 
to  be  so  occupied  as  to  make  him  feel  that  his 
approach  would  be  an  interruption  ;  and  whenever 
they  did  meet  at  the  table  and  elsewhere,  it  appeared 

10 


218  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

as  if  she  were  trying  to  teach  him  by  a  smiling,  friendly 
indifference  that  he  was  not  in  her  thoughts  at  all. 

The  positive  coldness  and  aversion  Ida  sought  to 
manifest  toward  Van  Berg  would  not  have  been  so 
disheartening  as  Miss  Burton's  device  of  seeming  to 
be  so  agreeably  preoccupied  with  other  people  that 
she  could  not  or  would  not  see.  the  offering  Stanton 
was  eager  to  lay  at  her  feet. 

He  felt  this  keenly,  and  chafed  under  it ;  but  her 
woman's  tact  made  her  shining  armor  invulnerable. 
She  persisted  in  regarding  him  as  the  gay,  self-seek 
ing,  pleasure-loving  man  of  the  world  that  she  had 
recognized  him  to  be  on  the  first  day  of  their  acquain 
tance.  He  imagined  that  a  great  and  radical  change 
had  taken  place  in  his  nature,  but  she  gave  him  no 
opportunity  of  telling  her  so.  At  first  she  had,  with 
laughing  courtesy,  ignored  his  gallantry,  as  if  it  were 
only  a  fashion  of  his  towards  any  woman  who  for  the 
time  happened  to  take  his  fancy ;  but  so  far  from 
shunning  him  she  had  seemed  inclined  to  employ 
what  she  regarded  as  a  caprice  or  a  bit  of  male 
coquetry,  as  the  means  of  adding  to  the  enjoyment 
of  as  many  as  possible  ;  and  Van  Berg  had  often 
smiled  to  see  his  languid  friend  of  yore  seconding 
Miss  Burton's  efforts  with  an  apparent  ze^l  that  was 
quite  marvellous.  To  Stanton's  infinite  relief,  Van 
Berg  did  not  twit  him  concerning  this  surprising 
departure  from  his  old  ways.  Indeed,  Miss  Burton 
had  become  too  delicate  and  sacred  a  theme  in  both 
of  their  minds  to  permit  of  their  old  banter.  They 
had  been  friends  and  were  so  still,  yet  each  recog 
nized  the  fact  that  events  were  coming  that  would 


A  DELIBERATE    WOOER. 


219 


sorely  test  and  perhaps  destroy  their  friendship. 
While  they  gradually  fell  aloof,  as  men  will  who  are 
learning  that  their  dearest  interests  are  destined  to 
conflict,  they  each  tried  nevertheless  to  maintain  an 
honorable  rivalry,  and  their  bearing  toward  each 
other,  although  tinged  with  a  growing  reticence  and 
dignity,  was  genuinely  kind  and  courteous. 

As  the  week  drew  to  a  close,  however,  it  gave  Van 
Berg  pleasure — though  not  by  any  means  in  the  same 
degree  that  it  caused  Stanton  pain  —  to  observe  that 
Miss  Burton  was  shunning  the  latter's  society  as  far 
as  politeness  permitted. 

At  the  same  time,  while  she  evidently  enjoyed  his 
companionship,  Van  Berg  observed  that  she  did  not 
seem  to  specially  crave  it  ;  nor  in  truth  did  he  find 
himself  when  away  from  her  distrait,  vacant,  and 
miserable,  as  was  manifestly  the  case  with  his  friend. 
He  concluded  that  it  was  difference  of  temperament 
— that  it  was  his  nature  to  be  governed  by  judgment 
and  taste,  as  it  was  that  of  Stanton  to  be  swayed  by 
feeling  and  passion.  All  the  higher  faculties  of  his 
mind  gave  their  voice  for  this  woman  with  increasing 
emphasis.  His  heart  undoubtedly  would  slowly  and 
surely  gravitate  in  the  same  direction. 

How  to  win  her  therefore  was  gradually  becom 
ing  the  one  interesting  and  most  difficult  question  he 
had  to  solve.  Although  she  was  poor  and  alone  in 
the  world,  it  was  evident  that  mere  wealth  and  posi 
tion  would  count  but  little  with  her.  Stanton  was 
handsome,  rich,  well-connected,  and  intelligent ;  but 
it  seemed  clear,  as  she  recognized  the  sincerity  of  his 
suit,  she  withdrew  from  it.  Some  coarse,  ill-natured 


22O  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

people  in  the  house,  who  at  first,  with  significant  nods, 
had  intimated  that  "the  little  school-ma'am"  was 
bent  on  bettering  her  fortunes,  were  soon  nonplussed 
by  her  course. 

Thus  far  Van  Berg's  name  had  not  been  associated 
with  hers  in  any  such  manner  as  Stanton's.  His 
cooler  head,  or  heart  more  correctly,  had  enabled  him 
to  act  very  prudently.  He  would  enjoy  a  walk  or 
conversation  with  her,  and  there  it  would  end. 
Neither  by  lingering  glances  nor  steps  did  he  show  that 
he  could  not  interest  himself  in  other  people  and 
things.  He  did  not  attend  the  excursions  or  rides  to 
which  Stanton  invited  her,  and  others  to  please  her, 
because  he  knew  his  friend  "  doted  on  his  absence." 
He  felt  too  that  the  occasion  was  Stanton's  private 
property,  and  that  it  would  be  mean  not  to  leave  him 
the  full  advantage  of  the  device,  which  might  cause 
him  more  effort  in  a  forenoon  or  an  evening  than  he 
had  been  accustomed  to  put  forth  in  a  week. 

But  poor  Stanton  soon  learned  that  his  labors  of 
love  were  destined  to  be  very  promiscuous.  Fie  never 
could  manage  to  carry  her  off  alone  in  a  light  skiff 
upon  the  lake  ;  he  could  never  inveigle  her  into  the 
narrow  seat  of  his  buggy*  nor  could  his  most  wily 
strategy  long  separate  her  from  their  companions  on 
a  picnic  that  had  offered  to  his  ardent  fancy  a 
chance  for  a  stroll  into  some  favoring  solitude  by  them 
selves.  Had  she  been  a  princess  of  the  blood,  sur 
rounded  by  a  guard  of  watchful  duennas,  she  could 
not  have  been  more  unapproachable  to  lover-like 
advances.  Yet,  with  a  vexation  akin  to  that  of  old 
Tantalus  himself,  he  constantly  cursed  his  stupidity 


A   DELIBERATE    WOOER.  221 

for  not  making  better  progress  toward  securing  the 
smiling,  affable  maiden,  who  by  every  law  of  his  past 
experience  ought  to  second  his  efforts  to  win  her. 

Van  Berg,  who  remained  at  the  hotel,  or  went  off 
by  himself  on  rambles  and  sketching  expeditions, 
would  watch  his  opportunity  and  quietly  and  naturally 
join  her  on  the  piazza,  or  in  the  parlor,  as  he  might 
approach  any  other  lady.  As  a  result  they  had  long 
animated  conversations,  and  found  they  had  much  in 
common  to  talk  about. 

Stanton  would  gnaw  his  lip  with  envy  at  these 
interviews  and  wonder  how  Van  Berg  brought  them 
about  so  easily,  but  found  he  could  not  secure  them, 
save  in  the  immediate  presence  of  others.  Thus  it 
came  about  that  Van  Berg  practically  enjoyed  more 
of  Miss  Burton's  society  than  the  one  who  made  such 
untiring  efforts  to  obtain  it. 

In  Stanton's  too  eager  suit,  Van  Berg  thought  he 
saw  the  danger  he  must  avoid,  and  he  complacently 
congratulated  himself  that  he  possessed  a  tempera 
ment  which  permitted  thoughtful  and  wary  approaches. 
He  would  not  frighten  this  shy  bird  by  too  hasty 
advances.  Through  unobtrusive  companionship  he 
would  first  grow  familiar  to  her  thoughts  ;  and  then, 
if  possible,  would  make  himself  inseparable  from  them. 

He  reached  this  conclusion  during  a  ramble  on 
Saturday  morning,  and  with  elastic  tread  returned  to 
the  hotel  to  carry  out  his  well- digested  policy.  As  he 
mounted  the  steps  he  saw  Miss  Burton  in  the  parlor, 
and  at  once  entered  through  an  open  window.  She 
was  seated  in  a  corner  of  the  room  with  two  or  three 
little  girls  around  her,  and  was  dressing  dolls. 


222  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Do  you  enjoy  that  ?  "  he  asked,  incredulously. 

"  I'm  not  a  star,"  she  replied  looking  up  with  a 
quiet  smile,  "  but  only  a  planet — one  of  the  smaller 
asteroids — and  shine  with  borrowed  light.  These 
little  women  enjoy  this  hugely ;  and  I  receive  a  pale 
reflection  of  their  pleasure." 

"  You  are  certainly  happy  in  your  answer,  if  not  in 
your  work,  "  he  remarked. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  "said  one  of  the  children  emphatic 
ally,  "  Miss  Burton  is  the  best  lady  that  ever  lived." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  my  dear,"  responded  the  artist, 
with  answering  emphasis. 

"  Yes,  children,"  said  Miss  Burton,  her  eyes  dan 
cing  with  mischief,  "and  I  want  you  to  appreciate 
Mr.  Van  Berg's  genius  too.  He  is  the  greatest  artist 
that  ever  lived,  and  there  never  were  such  pictures 
as  he  paints." 

"  Miss  Burton,  I  beg  off,"  interrupted  Van  Berg, 
laughing.  "  You  always  get  the  better  of  one.  No, 
children,"  he  continued  in  answer  to  their  looks  of 
wonder,  "  I  know  less  about  painting  pictures,  in 
comparison,  than  you  do  of  dressing  dolls." 

"  But  Miss  Burton  always  tells  us  the  truth,"  per 
sisted  the  child. 

"  Now  you  see  the  result  of  our  folly,"  said  the 
young  lady,  shaking  her  head  at  him.  "  We  have 
given  this  child  an  example  of  insincerity.  We  were 
jesting,  my  dear.  Mr.  Van  Berg  and  I  did  not  mean 
what  we  said." 

"  But  I  did  mean  what  I  said,"  replied  the  child, 
earnestly. 

"Since  only  downright   honesty,"  the  artist    re- 


A  DELIBERATE    WOOER.  223 

sumed  with  a  laugh,  "  is  permitted  in  this  little  group, 
so  near  nature's  heart,  I  think  I  must  follow  this  small 
maiden's  example,  and  stick  to  my  original  statement. 
For  once,  Miss  Burton,  we  have  won  the  advantage 
over  you,  and  have  proved  that  yours  are  the  only 
insincere  words  that  have  been  spoken.  But  I  know 
that  if  I  stay  another  moment  I  shall  be  worsted.  So 
I  shall  leave  the  field  before  victory  is  exchanged  for 
another  reverse." 

As  he  turned  laughingly  away  he  saw — what  he 
had  not  observed  before  —  that  Ida  Mayhew  was 
sitting  near.  She  was  ostensibly  reading ;  but  even 
his  brief  glance  assured  him  that  her  downcast  eyes 
were  not  following  the  lines.  Her  face  was  so  pale, 
so  rigid,  so  like  a  sculptured  ideal  of  some  kind  of 
suffering  he  could  not  understand,  that  it  haunted  him. 

He  had  given  but  little  thought  to  her  for  the  past 
two  days,  and  indeed  had  rarely  seen  her.  She  had 
managed  to  take  her  meals  when  he  was  not  present, 
and  on  one  or  two  occasions  had  had  them  sent  to 
her  room,  pleading  illness  as  the  reason.  Indeed  her 
flagging  appetite  and  altered  appearance  did  not 
make  much  feigning  on  her  part  necessary. 

She  had  evidently  heard  the  conversation  just  nar 
rated  ;  and  she  believed  that  Van  Berg  had  echoed 
the  child's  belief  in  regard  to  Miss  Burton  more  in 
truth  than  in  jest. 

The  ruling  passion  of  the  artist  was  aroused.  A 
plain  woman  might  have  looked  unutterable  things, 
and  he  would  have  passed  on  with  a  shrug,  or  but 
a  thought  of  commiseration.  But  that  oval,  down 
cast  face  followed  him.  Its  sadness  and  pain  inter- 


224  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

ested  him  because  conveyed  to  his  eye  by  a  perfect 
contour. 

"Was  it  a  trick?"  he  thought,  "or  a  fortuitous 
combination  of  the  features  themselves,  that  enabled 
them  to  express  so  much  !  It  must  be  so,  for  surely 
the  shallow  coquette  had  not  much  to  express." 

"A  plague  on  the  perversity  of  nature,"  he  ex 
claimed,  "to  give  the  girl  such  features.  If  Jennie 
Burton  had  them,  she  would  be  the  ideal  woman  of 
the  world." 

The  practical  result,  however>  was  that  he  half  for 
got  during  dinner  that  she  was  "the  best  woman  that 
ever  lived  "  in  his  furtive  effort  to  study  Ida's  face  in 
its  present  aspect ;  and  that  he  also  spent  most  of 
the  afternoon  in  his  room  sketching  it  from  memory. 


A    VAIN  WISH. 


225 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A    VAIN    WISH. 

AS  the  witch-hazel  is  believed  to  have  the  power 
of  indicating  springs  of  water  however  far  be 
neath  the  surface,  so  Miss  Burton,  by  a  subtle  affinity, 
seemed  to  become  speedily  conscious  of  the  sorrows 
and  troubles  of  others,  even  when  sedulously  hidden 
from  general  observation. 

She  discovered  that  something  was  amiss  with  Ida 
almost  as  soon  as  did  the  troubled  girl  herself ;  but 
for  once  her  quick  perception  of  causes  failed  her. 
She  had  explained  Ida's  apparent  antipathy  to  Van 
Berg  on  the  ground  of  the  natural  resentment  of  a 
frivolous  society  girl  toward  the  man  who  had,  by  his 
manner  and  character,  asked  her  to  think  and  be  a 
woman.  It  appeared  to  her,  from  her  limited  acquain 
tance,  that  Ida  was  developing  into  the  counterpart  of 
her  mother  ;  and  for  such  a  person  as  Mrs.  Mayhew, 
Van  Berg  could  never  have  anything  more  than 
polite  toleration. 

Miss  Burton  was  aware  that  the  artist's  manner 
toward  Ida  had  indeed  been  humiliating.  During 
the  previous  week  he  had  sought  her  society ;  but  in 
the  emphatic  language  of  his  action,  he  had  almost 
the  same  as  said  of  late  : 
10* 


226  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Even  for  the  sake  of  your  beauty  I  cannot  endure 
your  shallowness  and  moral  deformity." 

Little  wonder  that  the  flattered  belle  should  feel 
hate  or  at  least  spite  toward  the  man  who  had  virtu 
ally  given  her  such  a  stinging  rebuke. 

But  while  this  fact  and  the  differences  of  character 
explained  Ida's  manner  toward  the  artist,  it  did  not  ac 
count  for  the  expression  of  pain  and  perplexity  that  she 
occasionally  detected  in  the  young  girl's  face.  It  did 
not  explain  why  she  should  sit  for  an  hour  at  a  time, 
as  she  had  that  morning  in  the  parlor,  her  eyes  fixed 
on.  vacancy,  and  her  face  full  of  dread  and  trouble,  as 
if  there  were  something  present  to  her  mind  from 
which  she  shrank  inexpressibly.  She  tried  several 
times  to  make  advances  toward  the  unhappy  girl,  but 
was  in  every  instance  repelled,  coldly  and  decidedly. 

"  What  is  preying  upon  Miss  Mayhew's  mind?" 
she  queried  with  increasing  frequency.  Her  experi 
ence  as  a  teacher  of  young  girls  made  her  quick  to 
detect  the  presence  of  those  dangerous  thoughts 
which  beset  the  entrance  on  mature  womanhood. 
With  a  frown  that  formed  a  marked  contrast  with  her 
customary  gentle  and  genial  expression,  she  surmised  : 
"  Can  Sibley,  or  any  one  else,  be  seeking  to  tempt 
and  lead  her  astray  ?  " 

As  the  most  plausible  explanation  she  finally  con 
cluded  that  Ida  was  brooding  over  her  father's  unhappy 
tendencies.  Mrs.  Burleigh  had  told  Miss  Burton  the 
whole  story;  and  she  had  listened,  not  as  to  a  bit  of 
scandal,  but  as  to  another  instance  of  that  kind  of 
trouble  which  ever  evoked  from  her  more  of  sympathy 
than  censure. 


A    VAIN   WISH.  227 

Ida  might  treat  her  fancied  rival, therefore,  as  coldly 
as  she  chose,  but  the  fact  of  suffering  and  the  shadow 
resting  upon  her  from  her  father's  course,  would  bind 
Jennie  Burton  to  her  as  a  watchful  friend  with  a  tie 
that  only  returning  happiness  could  sunder. 

Stanton  and  Van  Berg  were  standing  together  on 
Saturday  evening,  when  Mrs.  Mayhew  and  her  daugh 
ter  came  down  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  stage.  Ida 
did  not  see  them  at  first,  and  Van  Berg  was  again 
struck  by  the  pallor  and  stony  apathy  of  her  face. 
She  looked  like  one  wearied  by  conflict  of  mind  ;  but 
the"  quiet  of  her  face  was  not  that  of  peace  or  decision. 
It  was  simply  the  vacancy  and  languor  of  one  worn 
out  with  contending  emotions. 

"  I  once  said,"  thought  Van  Berg,  "that  she  would 
be  beautiful  if  she  were  dead,  and  her  frivolous  mind 
could  no  longer  mar  the  repose  of  her  features  with 
the  suggestion  of  petty  thoughts  and  ignoble  vices. 
By  Jove,  I  never  realized  how  true  my  words  were. 
As  her  motionless  figure  and  pallid  expression  appear 
in  yonder  door-way,  she  would  make  a  good  picture 
of  the  clay  of  Eve,  before  God  breathed  life  into  the 
perfect  form.  Oh  !  that  I  had  such  power  !  I  would 
give  years  to  light  up  that  face  there  with  the  expres 
sions  of  which  it  is  capable." 

Then  Ida  saw  him,  and  she  turned  hastily  away, 
but  not  before  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  blood 
mounting  swiftly  to  her  face.  She  was  beginning 
to  puzzle  him,  and  to  suggest  that  possibly  his  esti 
mate  of  her  character  had  been  superficial. 

"Your  cousin  has  not  seemed  well  for  the  past  few 
days,"  he  remarked  to  Stanton. 


228  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Oh  !  Ida  is  as  full  of  moods  as  an  April  day,  only 
they  scarcely  have  a  vernal  simplicity,"  was  the  sa 
tirical  answer.  From  some  caprice  or  other  she  is 
affecting  the  pale  and  interesting  style  now.  See  ! 
she  has  dressed  herself  this  evening  with  severe 
simplicity ;  but  the  minx  knows  that  thin  white 
drapery  is  more  becoming  to  her  marble  cheeks  and 
neck  than  the  richest  colors.  Besides,  she  remembers 
that  it  is  a  sultry  evening,  and  so  gets  herself  up  as 
cool  as  a  cucumber.  By  all  the  jolly  gods  !  but  she 
is  statuesque,  isn't  she  ?  Say  what  you  please  Van, 
the  best  of  you  artists  couldn't  imagine  a  much  fairer 
semblance  of  a  woman  than  you  see  yonder — but 
when  you  come  to  her  mental  and  moral  furniture — 
the  Good  Lord  deliver  us  !" 

"  'Tis  pity,  'tis  pity,"  said  Van  Berg,  in  a  low, 
regretful  tone. 

"An'  pity  'tis,  'tis  true,"  added  Stanton,  with  a 
shrug. 

"  I  can't  think  it  is  only  affectation  that  has  made 
her  appear  ill  the  last  two  or  three  days,"  resumed 
Van  Berg,  musingly.  "  Her  face  suggests  trouble  and 
suffering  of  some  kind." 

1 '  Touch   of   dyspepsia,    like    enough.     However, 

Sibley  will  be  here  in  a  few  minutes  and  he  will  cheer 

'her  up,  never  fear.     I'm  disgusted  with  her  that  she 

takes  so  to  that  fellow ;  for  although  no  saint  myself, 

I  can't  stomach  him." 

At  the  mention  of  Sibley's  name,  Van  Berg 
frowned,  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  away. 

"If  Stanton  is  right  about  that  fellow's  power 
over  her,"  he  muttered,  "I'll  tear  up  the  sketch  I 


A    VAIN  WISH.  229 

made  this  afternoon  and  never  give  her  another 
thought." 

The  moment  Ida  became  conscious  of  Van  Berg's 
observant  eyes  her  languor  passed  away.  She  had 
scarcely  glanced  at  him  while  at  dinner,  but  she  had 
felt,  by  some  subtle  power  of  perception,  that  he  was 
furtively  watching  her,  and  she  also  felt  there  was 
more  of  curiosity  than  kindliness  in  his  regard.  With 
an  instinct  as  strong  as  that  of  self-preservation,  she 
sought  to  hide  her  secret,  and  when  a  few  moments 
later  the  stage  was  driven  to  the  door,  she  was  pre 
pared  to  welcome  the  man  she  now  detested,  in  order 
to  conceal  her  heart  from  the  man  she  loved. 

Van  Berg,  leaning  against  a  pillar  near,  saw  Mr. 
Mayhew  with  his  sallow,  listless  face  and  lifeless  tread 
mount  the  steps  to  greet  his  wife  and  daughter ;  but, 
before  he  could  take  Ida's  hand,  Sibley,  in  snowy 
linen  and  a  coat  from  which  the  stains  and  dust  of 
earth  seemed  ever  kept  miraculously,  brushed  past 
him,  and  seizing  the  daughter's  hand,  exclaimed  : 

"You  see  I've  kept  my  promise,  and  am  here." 
And  then  he  whispered  in  her  ear  :  '"  By  Jupiter,  Miss 
Ida,  you  look  like  a  houri  just  from  Paradise  to 
night." 

•  Mr.  Mayhew  paused  a  moment  and  looked  from 
the  forward  youth  to  his  daughter's  scarlet  face, 
frowned  heavily,  and  then  gave  her  and  her  mother  a 
very  cool  greeting  before  passing  on  to  his  room. 

Ida  could  not  forbear  stealing  a  look  at  Van  Berg, 
and  her  face  grew  pale  again  as  she  encountered  his 
scornful  glance.  Pride  was  one  of  her  predominant 
traits,  and  his  manner  touched  it  to  the  quick.  She 


230  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

resolved  to  return  him  scorn  for  scorn,  and  to  show 
him  that  in  spite  of  her  heart  that  had  turned  against 
her  and  become  his  ally,  she  could  still  be  her  old  gay 
self.  Therefore  she  gave  Sibley  back  his  badinage  in 
kind ;  and  in  repartee  that  was  bright  and  sharp  as 
well  as  reckless,  she  answered  the  compliments  of 
other  gay  young  fellows  who  also  gathered  around  her. 

"  Did  I  not  tell  you  Sibley  would  revive  her?" 
Stanton  remarked  as  they  went  down  to  supper. 
"  Such  humdrum  fellows  as  you  and  I  are  not  to  the 
taste  of  one  who  has  been  brought  up  on  a  diet  of 
cayenne  pepper  and  chocolate  cream." 

"But  what  kind  of  blood  does  such  a  diet  make?" 

"Judge  for  yourself.  It  looks  well  as  it  comes 
and  goes  in  a  pretty  face." 

"  Look  here,  Stanton,"  said  Van  Berg,  pausing  at 
the  dining  room  door;  "there  is  that  Sibley  at  our 
table." 

"  Oh,  certainly  !  He  claims  to  be  Ida's  friend,  and 
you  see  that  Mrs.  Mayhew  is  very  gracious  to  him. 
He's  rich,  and  will  inherit  his  father's  business  also ; 
and  my  sagacious  aunt  inquires  no  further." 

"  Stanton,  we  both  feel  that  he  is  not  fit  to  sit  at 
the  same  table  with  Miss  Burton." 

"  You  are  right,  Van,"  Stanton  replied  with  a  deep 
flush;  "but  I  can  do  nothing  without  drawing  atten 
tion  to  my  relatives.  After  all,  it  is  only  a  casual  and 
transient  association  in  a  public  place,  over  which  we 
have  no  control.  While  she  seems  too  near  to  him 
there,  you  know  that  heaven  is  as  near  to  hell  as 
they  are  to  each  other.  For  the  sake  of  poor  Mr. 
Mayhew,  if  for  no  one  else,  let  the  matter  pass." 


A    VAIN   WISH. 


231 


"  Very  well,  Stanton;  but  it  must  not  happen  so 
another  week  ;  "  and  then  the  young  men  who  had 
withdrawn  into  the  hall- way  entered,  but  the  expres 
sion  of  coldness  and  displeasure  did  not  wholly  pass 
from  their  faces. 


ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
JENNIE  BURTON'S 

FORTUNATELY  Mr.  Mayhew  had  been  placed 
at  the  supper-table  next  to  Miss  Burton,  and  Van 
Berg  speedily  became  absorbed  in  watching  the  im 
pression  made  on  each  other  by  these  two  characters 
that  were  so  utterly  diverse.  It  needed  but  a  glance  to 
see  that  Mr.  Mayhew  was  a  heavy-hearted,  broken- 
spirited  man.  His  shrunken  inanimate  features,  and 
slight,  bent  form,  looked  all  the  more  dim  and  shad 
owy  in  contrast  with  his  stout,  florid  wife,  who  even 
in  public  scarcely  more  than  tolerated  his  presence. 
This  evening  she  devoted  herself  to  Sibley,  who  sat 
between  her  and  her  daughter.  ,  , 

Mr.  Mayhew  seemed  unusually  depressed  even  for 
him,  and  began  to  make  a  supper  only  in  form. 
Jennie  Burton  stole  a  few  shy  glances  at  his  sallow 
face,  and  seemed  to  find  an  attraction  in  it  she  could 
not  resist.  Two  handsome  lovers  sat  near  her,  but' 
she  evidently  forgot  them  wholly  save  when  they 
addressed  her ;  and  she  wooed  the  elderly  man  at  her 
side  with  consummate  tact  and  grace. 

At  first  he  was  unconscious  of  her  presence.  She 
was  but  another  human  atom,  and  of  no  more  interest 
to  him  than  the  chair  on  which  she  sat.  Mechanically 


JENNIE  BURTOWS  "REMEDIES."  233 

he  declined  one  or  two  things  she  passed  to  him,  and 
in  an  absent  manner  replied  to  the  few  casual  remarks 
by  which  she  sought  to  engage  him  in  conversation. 
At  last  she  said,  in  a  voice  that  was  indescribably 
winning  and  sympathetic : 

"  Mr.  Mayhew,  your  sultry  week  in  town  has 
wearied  you.  Our  country  air  will  do  you  good." 

There  was  so  much  more  in  her  tones  than  in  her 
words  that  he  turned  to  look  at  her,  and  then,  for  the 
first  time,  became  aware  that  he  was  not  sitting  at 
the  side  of  an  ordinary,  well-bred  lady. 

"Country  air  is  good  as  far  as  it  goes,"  he  said 
slowly,  scanning  her  face  as  he  spoke  ;  "  but  it  does 
not  make  much  difference  with  me." 

"  There  are  other  remedies,"  she  resumed  in  her 
low  gentle  tone,  "  which,  like  the  air,  are  not  exactly 
tangible,  and  yet  are  more  potent." 

"  Indeed,"  he  said,  the  dawning  interest  deepening 
in  his  face  ;  "  what  are  they  ?  " 

"I  do  not  mean  to  tell  you,"  she  replied  with  a 
little  piquant  nod  and  smile.  "  I've  learned  better 
than  those  people  who  have  a  dozen  infallible  medi 
cines  at  their  tongues'  end  for  every  trouble  under 
heaven.  I  never  name  my  remedies ;  for  if  I  did, 
people  would  turn  away  in  contempt  for  such  com 
monplace  simples." 

"I  can  guess  one  of  them  already,"  he  said  with  a 
pleased  light  coming  into  his  eyes. 

"So  quickly,  Mr.  Mayhew?  I  doubt  it." 

"  Kindness,"  he  said,  in  a  low  tone. 

"Well,"  she  replied,  with  a  slight  flush,  "  I  can 
stoutly  assert  that  this  remedy  did  me  good  when  all 


234  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

the  long-named  drugs  in  the  '  materia  medica '  could 
not  have  helped  me." 

He  looked  at  her  searchingly  a  moment,  and  then 
said  in  the  same  low  tone  : 

"  And  so  you  are  trying  to  apply  your  remedy  to 
me?  It  certainly  is  very  good  of  you.  Most  people 
when  they  are  cured,  throw  away  the  medicine,  for 
getting  how  many  others  are  sick." 

"  Perhaps  we  can  never  exactly  say  we  are  cured 
in  this  life  ;  but  I  think  we  can  all  get  better." 

"  It  depends  a  great  deal  upon  the  disease,"  he 
replied,  with  a  shrug. 

"  No,  Mr.  Mayhew,"  she  said;  and,  although  her 
tone  was  low,  it  was  almost  passionate  in  its  earnest 
ness.  "  God  forbid  that  there  should  be  a  disease 
without  a  remedy." 

He  again  looked  at  her  with  a  peculiar  expression, 
and  then  turned  slowly  toward  his  wife  and  daughter. 
Mrs.  Mayhew  was  too  preoccupied  to  heed  him,  and 
Sibley  was  just  saying  : 

"Miss  Ida,  I  claim  you  for  the  first  waltz  this 
evening,  and  only  wish  that  it  would  last  indefinitely." 

"  Pardon  me  for  saying  it  to  one  so  young  and 
hopeful  as  yourself,  Miss  Burton,"  Mr.  Mayhew 
resumed  gloomily,  "but  that  which  both  God  and 
good-sense  forbid  seems  the  thing  most  sure  to  take 
place  in  this  world." 

Although  so  dissimilar,  deep  and  sad  experiences 
made  them  kin,  and  Miss  Burton  found  she  must 
make  an  effort  not  to  let  their  thoughts  color  their 
words  too  darkly  for  the  time  and  place. 

"  I  shall  not  let  you  destroy  my  faith  in  my  old- 


JENNIE  BURTON'S  "REMEDIES."  235 

fashioned  simples,"  she  said  in  tones  that  were  lighter 
than  her  meaning.  "You  must  not  be  sure  that 
because  you  are  so  much  my  senior,  all  my  com 
plaints  have  been  merely  children's  troubles.  Ap- 
pearances  are  often  misleading,  you  know." 

"  Not  in  your  case,  I  think,  Miss  Burton.  I  have 
lost  faith  in  almost  everything,  and  most  of  all  in 
myself;  but  this  unexpected  little  talk  has  touched 
me  deeper  than  you  can  know,  and  I  cannot  help 
having  faith  in  you." 

"  I  will  believe  it,"  she  said  with  a  smile,  "  if  you 
will  give  me  a  little  of  your  society  before  you  go 
back  to  the  city." 

He  looked  at  her  with  sudden  suspicion.  "  Do 
you  mean  what  you  say  ?  " 

"I  do." 

"  Why  do  you  wish  my  society  ?  " 

She  hesitated 

His  face  darkened  still  more,  for  he  remembered 
what  he  was,  and  how  little  this  young  and  lovely 
girl  had  in  common  with  him. 

"Answer  me  truly,"  he  insisted;  "why  should 
you  wish  my  society  ?  I've  not  a  particle  of  vanity. 
I  know  what  I  am,  and  you  undoubtedly  know  also. 
If  you  wish  to  advise  me  and  preach  at  me,  let  me 
tell  you  plainly  but  courteously  that  your  efforts, 
however  well  intentioned,  would  be  in  vain,  and  not 
altogether  welcome.  I  can  conceive  of  no  other 
reason  why  you  should  wish  for  my  society." 

Her  face  became  very  pale,  but  she  looked  him  full 

his  eyes  as  she  replied : 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  preach  or  advise  at  all.     Can 


236  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

you  not  understand  that  one  may  ease  one's  own 
pain  by  trying  to  relieve  the  suffering  of  another  ? 
Now  you  see  how  selfish  I  am." 

His  face  softened  instantly,  and  he  said : 

"  Miss  Burton,  that  is  too  divine  a  philosophy  for 
me  to  grasp  at  once.  As  the  world  goes  now,  I 
think  you  are  founding  a  school  of  your  own.  You 
will  find  me  an  eager  listener,  if  not  an  apt  scholar, 
whenever  you  will  honor  me  with  your  company." 
And  smiling  his  thanks  he  rose  and  left  the  table. 

This  conversation  had  been  carried  on  in  tones  too 
low  and  quiet  to  be  heard  by  others  in  the  crowded 
and  noisy  dining-room.  Van  Berg,  who  sat  opposite, 
had  taken  pains  not  to  follow  it  and  to  appear  obliv 
ious,  and  yet  he  could  not  refrain  from  observing  its 
general  drift  and  scope  in  Mr.  Mayhew's  manner ; 
and  his  eyes  glowed  with  admiration  for  her  winning 
tact  and  kindness.  The  glance  he  bent  upon  her  was 
perhaps  more  ardent  and  approving  than  he  was 
aware,  for  she,  looking  up  from  the  abstraction  which 
the  recent  conversation  had  occasioned,  seemed 
strangely  affected  by  it,  for  she  trembled  and  her  face 
blanched  with  a  sudden  pallor,  while  her  eyes  were 
riveted  to  his  face. 

"You  are  not  well,  Miss  Burton,"  said  Stanton 
hastily,  but  in  a  low  tone.  "  Let  me  get  you  some 
wine." 

She  started  perceptibly,  and  then  a  sudden  crimson 
suffused  her  face  as  she  became  conscious  that  other 
eyes  were  upon  her. 

In  almost  a  second  she  recovered  herself  fully,  and 
replied,  with  a  smile  : 


JENNIE  BURTOWS  "REMEDIES."  237 

"  No,  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Stanton.  A  cup  of  tea  is 
a  panacea  for  all  a  woman's  troubles,  and  you  see  I 
have  it  here.  I  did  not  feel  well  for  a  moment,  but 
am  better  now." 

The  eyes  of  Stanton  and  Ida  met.  Both  had  seen 
this  little  episode,  and  each  drew  from  it  conclusions 
that  were  anything  but  inspiriting.  But  Van  Berg 
was  thoroughly  puzzled.  While  as  he  felt  then  he 
would  have  gladly  drawn  encouragement  from  it, 
and  perhaps  did  so  to  some  extent,  he  still  felt  there 
was  something  peculiar  in  her  manner,  of  which  he 
seemed  the  occasion,  but  was  not  the  adequate 
cause. 

Miss  Burton  soon  after  sought  her  room,  and  for 
a  few  moments  paced  it  in  deep  disquiet,  and  her 
whole  form  seemed  to  become  tense  and  rigid.  In 
low  tones  she  communed  with  herself: 

"  Is  my  will  so  weak  ?  Shall  I  continue  betraying 
myself  at  any  unexpected  moment  ?  Shall  I  show  to 
strangers  something  that  I  would  hide  from  all 
eyes  save  those  of  God  ?  Let  me  realize  it  at  once, 
and  so  maintain  self-control  henceforth.  This  is  an 
illusion — a  mere  trick  of  my  overwrought  mind ; 
and  yet  it  seemed  so  like " 

A  passion  of  grief  interrupted  further  words. 
Such  bitter,  uncontrollable  sorrow  in  one  so  young 
was  terrible.  She  writhed  and  struggled  with  this 
anguish  for  a  time  as  helplessly  as  if  she  were  in  the 
grasp  of  a  giant. 

At  last  she  grew  calm.  There  were  no  tears  in  her 
eyes.  She  was  beyond  such  simple  and  natural 
expression  of  sorrow.  She  had  ready  tears  for  the 


238  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

troubles  of  others,  but  now  her  eyes  were  dry  and 
feverish. 

"  O  God,"  she  gasped,  "  teach  me  patience  !  Keep 
me  submissive.  Let  me  still  say,  '  Thy  will  be  done.' 
And -yet  the  time  is  drawing  near  when — oh,  hush  ! 
hush !  Let  me  not  think  of  it 

"  There,  there,  be  still,"  she  said  more  quietly  with 
her  hand  upon  her  side.  "  Hundreds  of  other  hearts 
besides  your  own  are  aching.  Forget  yourself  in 
relieving  them." 

She  bathed  her  face,  put  some  brighter  flowers  in 
her  hair,  and  went  down  among  the  other  guests, 
seemingly  the  very  embodiment  of  sunshine.  All 
eyes  save  those  of  Ida  Mayhew  welcomed  her ;  the 
children  gathered  round  her  ;  Stanton  and  Van  Berg 
were  both  eager  for  her  society  in  the  dance,  or  bet 
ter  still,  for  a  promenade  ;  but  she  saw  Mr.  Mayhew 
looking  wistfully  at  her,  and  she  went  straight  to  him. 

With  unerring  tact  she  found  out  the  subjects  that 
were  interesting  to  him,  and  reviving  his  faith  in  his 
own  intelligence,  led  his  mind  through  sunny,  breezy 
ranges  of  thought  that  made  the  time  he  spent  with 
her  like  an  escape  from  the  narrow  walls  and  stifling 
air  and  gloom  of  a  prison. 


A  HATEFUL,    WRETCHED  LIFE.  239 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  HATEFUL,   WRETCHED   LIFE. 

THE  advent  of  half  a  score  of  young  men  from 
the  city  naturally  made  dancing  the  order  of 
the  occasion  on  Saturday  evening.  Mr.  Burleigh, 
however,  gave  Sibley  a  hint  that  the  features  he  had 
introduced  the  previous  week  must  be  omitted  to 
night,  since  nothing  that  would  in  the  slightest  degree 
lower  the  character  of  his  house  would  be  tolerated. 
The  excitement  therefore  that  Sibley  had  formerly 
received  from  Cognac,  he  now  sought  to  obtain  by 
pursuing  with  greater  ardor  his  flirtation  with  Ida. 
Indeed,  to  such  a  nature  as  his,  her  beauty  was  quite 
as  intoxicating  as  the  "  spirit  of  wine."  There  was  a 
brilliancy  in  her  appearance  to-night  and  a  piquancy 
in  her  words  that  struck  him  as  very  unusual. 

Nor  was  he  alone  in  his  admiration.  The  young 
men  from  the  city  thronged  about  her,  and  her  hand 
was  soon  engaged  for  every  dance  until  late  in  the 
evening  ;  but  on  this  occasion  she  had  no  opportunity, 
as  before,  of  declining  invitations  from  Van  Berg. 
The  solicitations  of  others  went  for  little,  the  admir 
ing  eyes  that  she  saw  following  her  on  every  side 
could  not  compensate  for  the  lack  of  all  attention 
from  him.  He  danced  several  times,  but  it  was  with 


24O  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

those  who  seemed  to  be  neglected  by  others.  In  his 
quiet,  dignified  bearing,  in  his  unselfish  affability 
toward  those  who  otherwise  would  have  had  a  dull 
evening,  he  appeared  to  her  in  most  favorable  contrast 
to  the  giddy  young  fellows  who  fluttered  around  her, 
and  whose  supreme  thoughts  were  always  of  them 
selves,  and  of  her  only  as  she  could  minister  to  their 
pleasure. 

"Miss  Burton  has  so  plainly  won  him,"  she 
thought,  ''that  he  has  adopted  her  tactics  of  looking 
after  those  whom  every  one  neglects.  I  could  soon 
show  him  the  one  he  has  the  greatest  power  of 
cheering,  and  I  know  that  she  has  the  deepest  need 
of  cheer  of  any  one  in  this  crowded  house,  but  I'd 
rather  die  than  give  one  hint  of  my  perverse  heart's 
folly.  From  the  hour  of  our  first  meeting  he  has 
humiliated  me,  and  I  in  return  love  him  !  But  he 
shall  never  know  it.  My  looks  can  be  as  cold  as  his." 

And  so  they  were  toward  him,  but  for  all  others 
she  had  had  the  gayest  smiles  and  repartee.  Vividly 
conscious  of  the  secret  she  would  so  jealously  guard, 
she  sought  by  every  means  in  her  power  to  mask  it 
from  him  and  all  others.  She  would  even  permit  her 
name  for  a  time  to  be  associated  with  a  man  she  de 
tested  and  despised,  since  thus  the  truth  could  be 
more  effectively  concealed. 

Sibley's  attentions  were  certainly  ardent  enough  to 
attract  attention,  and  occasionally  there  was  a  bold 
ness  in  his  compliments,  which  she,  even  in  her  reck 
less  mood,  sharply  resented.  His  eyes  seemed  to 
grow  more  wolfish  every  time  she  encountered  them, 
and  more  than  once  the  thought  crossed  her  mind  : 


A   HATEFUL,    WRETCHED  LIFE.  241 

"  What  a  heaven  it  would  be  to  look  up  into  the 
eyes  of  a  man  I  could  trust,  and  who  honored  me." 

What  torture  it  was  to  see  such  a  man  present,  and 
yet  to  feel  that  he  justly  scorned  her. 

Excitement  and  her  strong  will  kept  her  up  for  a 
long  time,  but  as  the  evening  advanced  despondency 
and  weariness  began  to  gain  the  mastery,  Sibley 
came  to  her  and  said  :  "Miss  Ida,  I  have  your  hand 
for  the  next  waltz,  but  I  see  you  are  worn  and  tired. 
Let  us  go  out  on  the  cool  piazza  instead  of  dancing." 

Listlessly  she  took  his  arm  and  passed  through  one 
of  the  open  windows  near.  Van  Berg  had  disap 
peared  some  time  before,  and  there  was  no  longer  any 
motive  to  keep  up  the  illusion  of  gayety. 

Hardly  had  she  stepped  on  the  piazza,  before  she 
heard  her  father  say  : 

*'  Miss  Burton,  if  it  will  give  you  any  pleasure  to 
know  that  you  have  made  this  evening  memorably 
bright  to  one  whose  life  is  peculiarly  clouded,  you  can 
certainly  enjoy  that  assurance  in  the  fullest  measure. 
You  have  kept  your  word  and  have  not  preached  at 
me  at  all ;  and  yet  I  feel  I  ought  to  be  a  better  man 
for  this  interview." 

"  O,  Miss  Ida,"  exclaimed  Sibley,  "  this  is  the 
opportunity  that  I  have  been  wishing  for  all  the  even 
ing.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  gladly  I  exchange  the 
glare  of  that  room  for  the  light  of  your  eyes  only. 
Would  that  life  were  but  one  long  summer  evening, 
and  your  eyes  the  only  stars  in  my  sky." 

"Absurd,"  she  carelessly  replied;  and  then  they 
passed  out  of  hearing. 

"  Good-night,  Miss  Burton,"  said  Mr.  Mayhew 
ii 


242  <*   PACE  ILLUMINED. 

abruptly ;  and  he  hastily  descended  the  steps  and 
was  soon  lost  from  view  in  the  darkness. 

His  daughter  and  the  man  who  seemed  to  be  the 
companion  of  her  choice,  brought  back  at  once  the 
old  conditions  of  his  life.  The  prison  walls  closed 
around  him  again,  the  air  seemed  all  the  more  foul 
and  stifling  in  contrast  with  the  pure  atmosphere 
which  he  had  been  breathing,  and  the  gloom  of  the 
night  was  light  in  comparison  with  his  thoughts  as  he 
muttered  : 

"  If  Ida  were  only  like  this  good  angel  she  might 
save  even  me  ;  but  after  my  long  absence  she  leaves 
me  wholly  to  myself  for  the  sake  of  a  man  who 
ought  to  be  an  offence  to  her.  If  I  tell  her  and  her 
mother  what  his  reputation  is  in  New  York  they  will 
not  listen  to  me.  Although  he  is  the  known  slave 
of  every  vice,  my  daughter  smiles  upon  him.  Froth 
and  mud  we  are  now  and  ever  will  be.  After  a 
glimpse  into  the  life  of  that  pure,  good  woman  who 
has  tried  to  be  God's  messenger  to  me  to-night,  I  can 
find  no  words  to  express  my  loathing  of  the  slough 
in  which  I  and  mine  have  mired.  My  only  child,  by  the 
force  of  natural  selection,  bids  fair  to  add  to  our  num 
ber  a  drunkard  and  a  libertine  ;  and  I  am  powerless 
to  prevent  it.  The  mother  that  should  guard  and 
guide  her  child,  is  blind  to  everything  save  that  he  is 
rich.  Froth  and  mud  !  Froth  and  mud  !  " 

Unable  to  endure  his  thoughts,  he  went  to  his  room 
and  found  oblivion  in  the  stupor  of  intoxication. 

On  reaching  the  end  of  the  long  piazza,  Sibley  led 
Ida  to  a  veranda  little  frequented  at  that  hour,  say 
ing,  as  he  did  so  : 


A  HATEFUL,    WRETCHED  LIFE.  243 

-  "  Let  us  get  away  from  prying  eyes.  I  always 
feel  when  with  you  that  three  is  an  enormous  crowd." 

A  gentleman  who  had  been  smoking  rose  hastily 
at  this  broad  hint,  which  he  could  not  help  overhear 
ing,  and  walked  haughtily  away. 

Ida,  with  a  regret  deeper  than  she  could  have 
thought  possible,  saw  that  it  was  Van  Berg.  Her  first 
impulse  was  to  compel  her  companion  to  go  back  ; 
but  that  would  look  like  following  him.  Weary,  dis 
heartened  by  the  fate  that  seemed  ever  against  her, 
she  sank  into  the  chair  he  had  just  vacated. 

For  a  time  she  did  not  heed  or  scarcely  hear  Sib- 
ley's  characteristic  flatteries,  but  at  last  he  said  plain- 
ly: 

"  Miss  Ida,  do  you  know  that  you  are  the  one 
woman  of  all  the  world  to  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  hush  !  "  she  replied,  rising.  "  I  know  you 
say  that  to  every  pretty  woman  who  will  listen  to  you, 
as  I  shall  no  longer  to-night.  Come." 

Baffled  and  puzzled  also  by  the  moody  girl,  who  of 
late  seemed  so  different  from  her  former  self,  he  had 
no  resource  but  to  accompany  her  back  to  the  main 
entrance.  Here,  where  the  eyes  of  others  were  upon 
her,  she  said  abruptly,  but  with  a  charming  smile  : 

"  Good-night,  Mr.  Sibley,"  and  went  directly  to 
her  room. 

The  young  man  looked  rather  nonplussed  and 
muttered  an  oath  as  he  walked  away  to  console  him 
self  after  the  fashion  of  his  kind. 

"  Is  there  to  be  no  escape  from  this  wretched  life  ?  " 
Ida  sighed  as  she  wearily  threw  herself  into  a  chair 
on  reaching  her  room.  "  A  man  whose  addresses 


244 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


are  an  insult  is  my  lover.  The  only  man  I  can  ever 
love  associates  me  in  his  mind  with  this  low  fellow. 
My  father  obtains  what  little  comfort  he  gets  from 
the  charity  of  a  stranger.  How  can  I  face  this  pros 
pect  day  after  day.  Oh,  that  I  had  never  come 
here  ! " 

"  Ida,"  said  her  mother  entering  hastily,  "  what  has 
happened  to  put  your  father  out  so  ?  I  had  a  head 
ache  this  evening,  and  came  up  early.  A  little  while 
ago  he  stalked  in  with  his  absurd  tragic  air.  '  What 
is  the  matter,'  I  asked.  '  Look  to  your  daughter,'  he 
said.  *  What  do  you  mean  ?  '  I  asked,  quite  frightened. 
'  If  you  were  a  true  mother/  he  replied,  '  you  would 
no  more  leave  her  with  that  rotuf  Sibley,  than  with 
so  much  pitch.  Yet  he  is  courting  her  openly  ;  and 
what  is  worse,  she  receives  his  addresses,  and  permits 
herself  to  be  identified  with  him.'  '  Oh,  pshaw,'  I 
answered  carelessly  ;  '  Sibley  is  about  on  a  par  with 
half  the  young  men  in  society,  and  Ida  might  do  a 
great  deal  worse.  No  fear  of  her ;  for  there  isn't  a 
girl  living  who  knows  how  to  take  care  of  herself  bet 
ter  than  she.'  *  Bah  ! '  he  said,  '  if  she  knew  how  to 
take  care  of  herself,  she  would  permit  a  snake  to  touch 
her  sooner  than  that  man.  Ida  might  do  worse,  might 
shs  ?  God  knows  how  :  I  don't.  A  pretty  family 
we  shall  be  when  he  is  added  to  our  charming  group. 
The  mud  will  predominate  then  ; '  and  with  that  he 
opened  a  bottle  of  brandy  and  drank  himself  stupid." 

As  Mrs.  Mayhew  rattled  this  conversation  off  in  a 
loud  whisper,  Ida  seemed  turning  into  stone,  but  at 
its  close  she  said  icily  : 

"  In  speaking  of  such  a  union  as  possible,  my  par- 


A  HATEFUL,    WRETCHED  LIFE.  245 

ents  certainly  have  shown  their  opinion  of  me. 
Good-night.  I  wish  to  be  alone." 

"  But  did  anything  happen  between  you  to  set 
your  father  off  so  ?  "  persisted  Mrs.  Mayhew. 

"  Nothing  unusual.  I  suppose  father  heard  one  of 
Mr.  Sibley's  compliments  ;  and  that  was  enough  to 
disgust  any  sensible  man.  Good-night." 

"  My  gracious  !  You  might  as  well  turn  me  out  of 
your  room." 

"  Mother,  I  wish  to  be  alone,"  said  Ida,  passion 
ately. 

"  A  pretty  life  I  lead  of  it  between  you  and  your 
father,"  sobbed  Mrs.  Mayhew,  retreating  to  her  own 
apartment. 

"  A  hateful,  wretched  life  we  all  three  shall  lead  to 
the  end  of  time,  for  aught  that  I  can  see,"  Ida  groaned 
as  she  restlessly  paced  her  room  ;  "  but  I  have  no  bet 
ter  resource  than  to  follow  father's  example." 

She  took  an  opiate  and  so  escaped  from  thought 
for  a  time  in  the  deep  lethargy  it  brought. 


246  y*  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

HALF-TRUTHS. 

A  CHURCH  bell  was  ringing  in  a  neighboring  vil 
lage  the  following  morning  when  Ida  awoke.  The 
sunlight  streamed  in  at  the  open  window  through  the 
half-closed  blinds,  flecking  the  floor  with  bars  of  light. 
Birds  were  singing  in  the  trees  without,  and  a  south 
ern  breeze  rustled  through  the  foliage  as  a  sweet  low 
accompaniment.  Surely  it  was  a  bright  pleasant 
world  on  which  her  heavy  eyes  were  opening. 

Poor  child  !  she  was  fast  learning  now  that  the 
darkest  clouds  that  shadow  our  paths  are  not  the 
vapors  that  rise  from  the  earth,  but  the  thoughts  and 
memories  of  an  unhappy  and  a  sinful  heart. 

The  sunlight  mocked  her ;  and  her  spirit  was  so 
out  of  tune  that  the  sweet  sounds  of  nature  made 
jarring  discord. 

But  the  church  bell  caught  her  attention.  How 
natural  and  almost  universal  is  the  instinct  which 
leads  us  when  in  trouble  to  seek  the  support  of  some 
Higher  power.  No  matter  how  wayward  the  human 
child  may  have  been,  how  hardened  by  years  of 
wrong,  or  arrogantly  entrenched  in  some  phase  of 
rational  philosophy,  when  the  darkness  of  danger  or 
sorrow  blots  out  the  light  of  earthly  hopes,  or  hides 


HALF-TRUTHS.  247 

the  path  which  was  trodden  so  confidently,  then, 
with  the  impulse  of  frightened  children  whom  night 
has  suddenly  overtaken,  there  is  a  longing  for  the 
Father's  hand  and  the  Father's  reassuring  voice.  If 
there  is  no  God  to  love  and  help  us,  human  nature  is 
a  lie. 

Thus  far  Ida  Mayhew  had  no  more  thought  of 
turning  Heavenward  for  help  than  to  the  philosophy 
of  Plato.  Indeed,  religion  as  a  system  of  truth,  and 
Greek  philosophy  were  almost  equally  unknown  to 
her.  But  that  church-bell  reminded  her  of  the  source 
of  hope  and  help  to  which  burdened  hearts  have  been 
turning  in  all  the  ages,  and  with  the  vague  thought 
that  she  might  find  some  light  and  cheer  that  was 
not  in  the  sunshine,  she  hastily  dressed  and  went 
down  in  time  to  catch  one  of  the  last  carriages. 
When  she  reached  the  church,  she  found  her  mother 
had  preceded  her,  and  that  her  cousin  Ik  Stanton  was 
also  there  ;  but  she  correctly  surmised  that  the  only 
devotion  to  which  he  was  inclined  had  been  inspired 
by  Miss  Burton,  who  sat  not  far  away.  She  was  soon 
satisfied  that  Van  Berg  was  not  present. 

As  a  general  thing,  when  at  church,  Ida  had  given 
more  consideration  to  the  people  and  the  toilets 
about  her  than  to  either  the  service  or  sermon  ;  but 
to-day  she  wistfully  turned  her  thoughts  to  both,  in 
the  hope  that  they  might  do  her  good,  although  she 
had  as  vague  an  idea  as  to  the  mode  or  process 
as  if  both  were  an  Indian  incantation. 

But  she  was  thoroughly  disappointed.  Her  thoughts 
wandered  continually  from  the  services.  With  almost 
the  vividness  of  bodily  presence,  three  faces  were 


248  ^   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

looking  upon  her — her  father's  with  an  infinite  re 
proach  ;  Sibley's,  with  smiling  lips  and  wolfish  eyes ; 
and  Van  Berg's,  first  coolly  questioning  and  exploring 
in  its  expression,  and  then  coldly  averted  and  scorn 
ful  in  consequence  of  what  he  had  discovered.  Not 
houses,  but  minds  are  haunted. 

The  clergyman,  however,  was  an  able,  forcible 
speaker,  and  held  her  attention  from  the  first.  His 
sermon  was  topical  rather  than  textual  in  its  charac 
ter;  that  is,  he  enlarged  on  what  he  termed  "the 
irreconcilable  enmity  between  God  and  the  world," 
taking  as  his  texts  the  following  selections : 

"  The  carnal  mind  fs  enmity  against  God." 

And  again,  "Whosoever,  therefore,  will  be  a 
friend  of  the  world,  is  the  enemy  of  God." 

The  sermon  was  chiefly  an  argument ;  and  the 
point  of  it  was  that  there  could  be  no  compromise 
between  these  contending  powers — God  on  one  side, 
the  world  on  the  other  —  and  he  insisted  that  his 
hearers  must  be,  and  were  with  one  party  or  the 
other.  The  trouble  was,  that  in  concentrating  his 
thoughts  on  the  single  point  he  meant  to  make,  he 
took  too  much  for  granted  —  namely,  that  all  his 
hearers  understood  sufficiently  the  character  of  God, 
and  the  sense  in  which  the  Bible  uses  the  term 
"  world,"  not  to  misapprehend  the  nature  of  this 
"enmity."  To  seasoned  church-goers  the  sermon 
was  both  true  and  very  satisfactory. 

But  when  the  good  minister  reached  the  conclusion 
of  his  argument  in  the  words,  "So  then,  they  that 
are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please  God,"  poor  Ida  drew  a 
long  dreary  sigh,  and  wished  she  had  remained  at 


HALF-TRUTHS.  249 

home.  She  was  certainly  "  in  the  flesh,"  if  any  one 
were  ;  and  in  addition  to  the  fact  that  she  neither 
pleased- herself  nor  any  one  else  that  she  respected 
and  loved,  she  was  now  given  the  assurance,  appar 
ently  fortified  by  Holy  Writ,  that  she  could  not 
"  please  God."  The  simple  and  divine  diplomacy 
by  which  this  "  enmity  "  is  removed  was  unknown  to 
her. 

She  turned  to  note  how  Miss  Burton  received  a 
message  that  was  so  unwelcome  to  herself,  and  saw 
that  she  was' not  listening.  '  There  was  a  dreamy  far 
away  look  in  her  eyes  that  clearly  was  not  inspired 
by  the  thought  of  "  enmity." 

"She  is  probably  thinking  of  the  artist  and  the 
ideal  future  that  he  can  give  her.  How  foolish  it  is 
in  poor  Ik  there  to  try  to  rival  hint  !  It  was  an  un 
lucky  day  for  us  both,  cousin  of  mine,  when  we  came 
to  this  place  !  " 

More  disheartened  and  despondent  than  ever,  she 
rode  homeward  with  her  mother,  answering  questions 
only  in  monosyllables.  All  that  religion  had  said  to 
her  that  morning  was  :  "  Give  up  the  world — all  with 
which  you  have  hitherto  been  familiar,  and  have  en 
joyed."  God  was  an  infinite,  all-powerful,  remote  ab 
straction,  and  yet  for  His  sake  she  must  resign  every 
thing  which  would  enable  her  to  forget,  or  at  least 
disguise  the  pain  and  jealousy  which  were  at  times 
almost  unendurable  ;  and  she  knew  of  no  substitute 
with  which  to  replace  "  the  world  "  she  was  asked  to 
forego. 

This  religion  of  mere  negation,  expulsion,  and  re 
straint  is  too  often  presented  to  the  mind.  Dykes 
ii* 


250  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

and  levees  are  very  useful,  and  in  some  places  essen 
tial  ;  but  if  low  malarial  shores  could  be  lifted  up  into 
breezy  hills  and  table-lands,  this  would  be  better. 
This  is  not  only  possible,  but  it  is  the  true  method  in 
respect  to  the  human  soul;  and  one  should  seek  to 
grow  better  not  by  sedulous  effort  to  keep  out  an  evil 
world,  but  rather  to  fill  up  his  heart  with  a  good  pure 
world  such  as  God  made  and  blessed. 

The  sermon  Ida  heard  that  morning,  therefore,  only 
added  to  the  burden  that  was  already  too  heavy  to  be 
carried  much  longer. 


SUNDAY  TABLE-TALK. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

SUNDAY   TABLE-TALK. 

TO  the   relief  of  all  save   Mrs.   Mayhew,   Sibley 
dined  with  a  couple  of  young,  fast  men,  who 
enforced  their  invitation  by  the  irresistible   attraction 
of  a  bottle  of  wine. 

"  There  is  too  much  starch  and  dignity  at  that  table 
to  suit  me,  any  way,"  he  remarked.  "  There  are  those 
two  model  saints,  who  led  our  devotions  last  Sunday 
evening,  flirting  with  ponderous  gravity  with  that  deep 
little  school-ma'am,  who  has  turned  both  their  heads, 
but  can't  make  up  her  mind  which  of  them  to  capture, 
both  being  such  marvellously  good  game  for  one  of 
her  class.  Cute  Yankee  as  she  believes  herself  to  be, 
she's  a  fool  to  think  that  either  of  them  is  more  than 
playing  with  her.  By  Jupiter  !  but  it  would  be  sport 
to  cut  'em  both  out ;  and  I  could  do  it  if  I  were  up 
here  a  week.  Those  who  know  the  world  know  that 
such  women  cipher  out  these  matters  in  the  spirit  of 
New  England  thrift,  and  you  have  only  to  mislead 
them  with  sufficient  plausible  data  to  capture  them 
body  and  soul."  And  Sibley  complacently  sipped  his 
wine  as  if  he  had  stated  all  there  was  to  be  said  on 
the  subject.  Few  men  prided  themselves  more  on  a 
profound  knowledge  of  the  world  than  he. 


252  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Ida's  despondency  while  at  dinner  was  so  great  she 
could  not  throw  it  off.  Listlessly  and  wearily  she 
barely  tasted  of  the  different  courses  as  they  were 
passed  to  her.  She  consciously  made  only  one  effort, 
and  that  was  to  appear  utterly  indifferent  to  Van 
Berg  ;  and  both  circumstances  and  his  contemptuous 
neglect  made  but  little  feigning  necessary.  The 
evening  before  had  associated  her  so  inseparably  in 
his  mind  with  Sibley,  that  he  was  beginning  to  regard 
her  with  aversion. 

"  Trivial  natures  are  disturbed  by  trivial  causes/'  he 
thought ;  "  and  she  looks  as  if  the  world  had  turned 
black  because  Sibley  has  been  lured  from  her  side 
for  an  hour  by  a  bottle  of  wine.  He'll  revive  her 
again  before  supper." 

"  How  wintry  that  old  gentleman  looks  who  is  just 
entering  !  "  Stanton  remarked.  "  It  makes  one  shiver 
to  think  of  becoming  as  frosty  and  white  as  he." 

"  Oh,  don't  speak  of  being  old  ! "  cried  Mrs.  May- 
hew.  "  Remember  there  are  some  at  the  table  who 
are  in  greater  danger  of  that  final  misfortune  than 
you  young  people." 

"  Do  you  dread  being  old,  Miss  Burton?"  Van 
Berg  asked. 

"  No ;  but  I  do  the  process  of  growing  old." 

"  For  once  we  think  alike,  Miss  Burton,"  said  Ida, 
abruptly.  "  To  think  of  plodding  on  through  indefi 
nite  dreary  years  toward  the  miserable  conclusion  of 
old  age  !  and  yet  it  is  said  nothing  is  so  sweet  as  life." 

"  Really,  Cousin,  your  advance  down  the  ages  re 
minds  one  more  of  a  quickstep  than  of  '  plodding,'" 
remarked  Stanton. 


SUNDAY  TABLE-TALK.  253 

"  The  step  matters  little,"  she  retorted,  "  as  long  as 
you  feel  as  if  you  were  going  to  your  own  funeral. 
I  agree  with  Miss  Burton,  that  growing  old  is  worse 
than  being  old,  though  Heaven  knows  that  both  are 
bad  enough." 

"  I'm  not  sure  that  Heaven  would  agree  with  either 
of  us,"  said  Miss  Burton,  gently. 

"I  fear  the  sermon  did  not  do  you  much  good,  Coz," 
said  Stanton,  maliciously. 

"  No  ;  it  did  not.  It  did  me  harm,  if  such  a  thing 
were  possible,"  was  the  reckless  reply. 

"  Human  nature  is  generally  regarded  as  capable 
of  improvement,"  remarked  Stanton,  sententiously. 

"  I  was  not  speaking  of  human  nature  generally," 
said  Ida  ;  "  I  was  thinking  of  myself." 

"  As  usual,  my  charming  Cousin." 

She  flushed  resentfully,  but  did  not  reply. 

"  And  I  feel  that  Miss  Mayhew  has  done  herself 
injustice  in  her  thought,"  said  Miss  Burton,  with  a  sym 
pathetic  glance  at  Ida.  "And  how  is  it  with  you, 
Mr.  Van  Berg  ?  Do  you  dread  growing  old  ?  " 

u  I  fear  my  opinion  will  remind  you  of  Jack  Buns- 
by,"  replied  the  artist.  "  Growing  old  is  like  a 
prospective  journey.  So  much  depends  upon  the 
country  through  which  you  travel  and  your  company. 
My  father  and  mother  are  taking  a  summer  excursion 
through  Norway  and  Sweden,  and  I  know  they  are 
enjoying  themselves  abundantly.  They  have  had  a 
good  time  growing  old.  Why  should  not  others  ?  " 

Ida  appeared  to  resent  his  words  bitterly ;  and  with 
a  tone  and  manner  that  surprised  every  one  she  said : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  could  not  have   believed  that 


254  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

you  were  capable  of  making  so  superficial  a  reply. 
Why  not  say,  if  the  poor  were  rich,  if  the  ugly  were 
beautiful,  if  the  sick  were  well,  if  the  bad  were  good, 
and  we  all  had  our  heart's  desires,  we  could  journey 
on  complacently  and  prosperously  ?  " 

The  artist  flushed  deeply  under  i:his  address,  com 
ing  from  such  an  unexpected  quarter ;  but  he  replied 
quietly  : 

"  The  allusion  with  which  I  prefaced  my  remark, 
Miss  Mayhew,  proved  that  I  regarded  my  opinion  as 
of  little  value  ;  and  yet  I  have  no  better  one  to  offer. 
Nothing  is  more  trite  than  the  comparison  of  life  to  a 
journey  or  a  pilgrimage.  If  one  were  compelled  to 
travel  with  very  disagreeable  people,  in  fifth-rate  con 
veyances,  and  through  regions  uninteresting  or  re 
pulsive,  the  journey,  or  to  abandon  the  figure,  grow 
ing  old,  might  well  be  dreaded.  From  my  soul  I 
would  pity  one  condemned  to  such  a  fate.  It  would, 
indeed,  be  '  dreary  plodding'  where  one's  best  hope 
would  be  that  he  might  stumble  into  his  grave  as 
soon  as  possible.  But  I  do  not  believe  in  any  such 
dreary  fatalism.  We  are  endowed  with  intelligence 
to  choose  carefully  our  paths  and  companions  ;  and  I 
cannot  help  thinking  that  the  majority  might  choose 
wisely  enough  to  make  life  an  agreeable  journey  in 
the  main." 

"  Look  here,  Van  ;  I'm  no  casuist,"  said  Stanton 
with  a  shrug  ;  "  but  I  can  detect  a  flaw  in  your  phi 
losophy  at  once.  Suppose  one  wanted  good  company 
and  could  not  get  it." 

"  He  had  better  jog  on  alone,  in  that  case,  than  take 
bad  company." 


SUNDAY   TABLE-TALK. 

"  And  heavy  jogging  it  might  be  too,"  muttered 
Stanton,  with  a  frown. 

Ida's  head  dropped  low  and  her  face  became  very 
pale.  Her  impulsive  cousin  in  expressing  his  own 
tormenting  fear,  had  unconsciously  defined  what 
promised  to  be  her  wretched  experience.  She  felt 
that  the  artist's  eyes  were  upon  her  ;  and  in  the  blind 
impulse  to  shield  her  secret,  which  then  was  so  vivid 
ly  plain  to  her  consciousness,  she  raised  her  head 
suddenly,  and  with  a  reckless  laugh  remarked  : 

"  For  a  wonder  I  can  also  half  agree  with  Mr.  Van 
Berg — congenial  society  for  me  or  none  at  all." 

A  second  later  she  could  have  bitten  her  tongue 
out  before  uttering  words  which  virtually  claimed  Sib- 
ley  as  her  most  congenial  companion. 

"  Miss  Mayhew  is  better  than  most  of  us  in  that 
she  lives  up  to  her  theories,"  Van  Berg  remarked, 
coldly. 

Her  eyes  shot  at  him  a  sudden  flash  of  impotent 
protest  and  resentment,  and  then  she  lowered  her 
head  with  a  flush  of  the  deepest  shame. 

At  that  moment  a  loud  discordant  laugh  from  Sib- 
ley  caused  many  to  look  around  toward  him,  and  not 
a  few  shook  their  heads  and  exchanged  significant 
glances,  intimating  that  they  thought  the  young  man 
was  in  a  "  bad  way." 

"Your  philosophy,  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  said  Miss 
Burton,  "  may  answer  very  well  for  the  wise  and  for 
tunate,  for  those  whose  lives  are  as  yet  unspoiled' 
and  unblighted  by  themselves  or  others.  But  even 
an  artist,  who  by  his  vocation  gives  his  attention  to 
the  beautiful,  must  nevertheless  see  that  there  are 


256  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

many  in  the  world  who  are  neither  wise  nor  fortunate 
— who  seem  predestined  by  their  circumstances,  folly, 
and  defective  natures  to  blunder  and  sin  till  they 
reach  a  point  where  reason  and  intelligence  can  do 
little  more  for  them  than  reveal  how  foolish  and 
wrong  they  have  been,  or  how  great  a  good  they  have 
missed  and  lost  irrevocably.  The  past,  with  its  op 
portunities,  has  gone,  and  the  remnant  of  earthly  life 
offers  such  a  dismal  prospect,  and  they  find  themselves 
so  shut  up  to  a  certain  lot,  so  shackled  by  the  very 
conditions  in  which  they  exist,  that  they  are  disheart 
ened.  It  is  so  hard  for  many  of  us  not  to  feel  that 
we  have  been  utterly  defeated  and  so  sink  into  fatal 
apathy." 

Mr.  Mayhew,  who  had  been  coldly  impassive  and 
resolutely  taciturn  thus  far,  now  leaned  back  in  his 
chair,  and  his  eyes  glowed  like  two  lamps  from  be 
neath  the  eaves  of  his  shaggy  brows.  A  young  and 
lovely  woman  was  giving  voice  to  his  own  crushed 
and  ill-starred  nature  ;  and  strange  to  say,  she  iden 
tified  herself  with  the  class  for  which  she  spoke.  In 
the  depths  of  his  heart  he  bowed  down,  reverenced, 
and  thanked  her  for  claiming  this  kinship  to  himself, 
even  though  he  knew  it  must  be  misfortune  and  not 
wrong  that  had  marred  her  life. 

If  Van  Berg  had  not  been  so  preoccupied  with  the 
speaker,  he  would  have  seen  that  the  daughter  also 
was  hanging  on  the  lips  that  were  expressing  simply 
and  eloquently  the  thoughts  with  which  her  own 
heavy  heart  was  burdened.  But  when  the  artist  be 
gan  to  speak,  Ida's  face  grew  paler  than  ever  as  she 
saw  the  glow  of  admiration  and  sympathy  that  lighted 


SUNDAY   TABLE-TALK.  2*>7 

up  his  features.  Compliments  she  had  received  in 
endless  variety  all  her  life,  but  never  had  she  seen  a 
man  look  at  her  with  that  expression. 

"  Pardon  me,  Miss  Burton,"  he  said,  "  if  I  protest 
against  your  using  the  pronoun  you  did.  No  one 
will  ever  he  able  to  associate  the  word  '  defeat '  with 
you.  I  do  not  understand  your  philosophy  ;  but  I 
know  it  is  far  better  than  mine.  While  I  admit  the 
truth  of  your  words  that  I  do  professionally  shut  my 
eyes  as  far  as  possible  to  all  the  ugly  facts  of  life,  still 
I  have  been  compelled  to  note  that  the  world  is  full  of 
evils  for  which  I  can  see  no  remedy,  and  as  a  matter  of 
.  common  experience  they  apparently  never  are  reme 
died.  Good  steering  and  careful  seamanship  are  im 
mensely  important ;  but  of  what  use  are  they  if  one  is 
caught  in  a  tornado  or  maelstrom,  or  wedged  in  among 
rocks,  so  that  going  to  pieces  is  only  a  question  of  time  ? 
Good  seamanship  ought  to  keep  one  from  such  a  fate, 
it  may  be  said.  So  it  does  in  the  majority  of  instan 
ces  ;  but  often  the  wisest  are  caught.  If  you  will 
realize  it,  Miss  Burton,  all  in  this  house,  men,  women, 
and  children,  are  about  as  able  to  take  a  ship  across 
the  Atlantic,  as  to  make  the  life  voyage  wisely  and 
safely.  As  a  rule  we  only  sail  and  sail.  Where  we 
are  going,  and  what  we  shall  meet,  the  Lord  only 
knows — we  don't.  I  have  travelled  abroad  at  times, 
and  have  seen  a  little  of  society  at  home,  arid  if  grow 
ing  selfish,  mean,  and  vicious,  is  going  to  the  bad, 
then  it  would  seem  that  more  find  the  bottom  than 
any  port." 

"  Oh,  hush,  Mr.   Van   Berg,"   cried   Miss  Burton. 
"  You  fill  the  world  with  a  blind,  stupid  fate,  and  the 


258  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

best  one  can  hope  for  is  the  rare  good  luck  or  the 
skilful  dodging  which  enables  one  to  escape  the  ran 
dom  blows  and  storms.  I  believe  in  God  and  law, 
although  I  confess  I  can  understand  neither.  As  the 
good  Mussulman  looks  towards  Mecca,  so  I  look  to 
ward  them  and  pray  and  hope  on.  This  snarl  of  life 
will  yet  be  untangled." 

"  I  assure  you  that  I  try  to  do  the  same,  but  not 
with  your  success,  I  fear.  Your  illustration  strikes 
me  as  unfortunate.  The  Moslem  looks  toward  Mecca  ; 
but  what  is  there  in  Mecca  worth  looking  toward  ? 
If  he  only  thought  so,  might  he  not  as  well  look  in 
any  other  direction  ?  " 

"  Please  don't  talk  so,  Mr.  Van  Berg.  Don't  you 
see  that  he  can't  look  in  any  other  direction  ?  He  has 
been  taught  to  look  thither  till  it  is  part  of  his  nature 
to  do  so.  In  destroying  his  faith  you  may  destroy 
him.  Pardon  me,  if  I  ask  you  to  please  remember 
that  faith  in  God  and  a  future  life  is  more  vitally  im 
portant  to  some  of  us  than  our  daily  bread.  We 
may  not  be  able  to  explain  it,  but  we  must  hope  and 
trust,  or  perish.  To  go  back  to  your  nautical  illus 
tration,  suppose  some  who  had  been  wrecked  were 
clinging  to  a  rocky  shore,  and  trying  to  clamber  up 
out  of  the  cold  spray  and  surf  to  warmth  and  safety ; 
would  it  not  be  a  cruel  thing  to  go  along  the  shore 
and  unloosen  the  poor  numb  hands  however  gently 
and  scientifically  it  might  be  done  ?  Loosing  that 
hold  means  sinking  to  unknown  depths.  With  com 
placent  self-approval  and  with  learned  Athenian  airs, 
many  of  the  savans  of  the  day  are  virtually  guilty  of 
this  horrible  cruelty." 


SUNDAY  TABLE-TALK.  259 

"  I  do  not  take  sides  with  the  Athenians  who  called 
St.  Paul  a  babbler,"  said  Van  Berg,  flushing;  "yet 
truth  compels  me  to  admit  that  I  could  worship  more 
sincerely  at  the  *  Altar  of  the  unknown  God/  than 
before  any  conception  of  Deity  that  modern  Theology 
has  presented  to  my  mind.  That  does  not  prove 
much,  I  am  bound  to  say,  for  I  have  never  given 
these  subjects  sufficient  attention  to  be  entitled  to 
have  opinions.  Still,  I  like  fair  play,  whatever  be  the 
consequences.  Your  arraignment  of  talking  skeptics 
is  a  severe  one  and  strikes  me  in  a  new  light.  Might 
they  not  urge,  in  self-defence,  that  there  was  a  deeper 
and  darker  abyss  on  the  farther  side  of  the  rock  to 
which  the  wrecked  were  clinging.  May  they  not 
argue  that  the  grasp  of  faith  may  lead  to  a  deeper 
and  more  bitter  disappointment  ?  " 

"  How  can  they  know  that  ?  How  can  they  know 
what  shall  be  in  the  ages  to  come?"  replied  Miss 
Burton,  speaking  rapidly.  "  This  is  the  situation  : — 
I  am  clinging  to  some  hope,  something  that  I  believe 
to  be  truth  which  sustains  me,  and  the  only  force  of 
the  skeptic's  words  is  to  loosen  my  grasp.  No  better 
support  is  given,  no  new  hope  inspired.  Believe 
me,"  she  concluded  passionately,  "  I  would  rather 
die  a  thousand  deaths  by  torture  than  lose  my  faith 
that  there  is  a  God  who  will  bring  order  out  of  this 
chaos  of  broken,  thwarted  lives,  of  which  the  world  is 
full,  and  that  those  who  seek  a  '  happier  shore '  will 
eventually  find  it." 

"  You  will  find  it,"  said  Van  Berg,  in  low  emphatic 
tones  ;  and  then  he  added  with  a  shrug,  as  he  rose 
from  the  table,  "  I  wish  my  chances  were  as  good." 


26o  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Ida,  who  a  few  weeks  before  would  have  heard 
this  conversation  with  unqualified  disgust,  had  listened 
with  eager  eyes  and  parted  lips/ and  she  now  said 
coldly,  but  with  a  deep  sigh  : 

"  Your  God  and  happy  shore,  Miss  Burton,  are  too 
vague  and  far  away.  Troubles  and  temptations  are 
in  our  very  hearts." 

Van  Berg  looked  hastily  toward  her,  but  she  rose 
and  turned  her  face  from  him. 

Mr.  Mayhew  shook  his  head  despondently,  as  if 
his  daughter's  words  found  a  deep,  sad  echo  in  his 
own  nature. 

"  Let  us  hear  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter  ; 
said  the  wise  man  of  old,  '  all  is  vanity  and  vexation 
of  spirit,'"  cried  Stanton,  with  the  air  of  one  who 
was  trying  to  escape  from  a  nightmare. 

Miss  Burton  at  once  became  her  old,  smiling  self. 

"  You  do  not  quote  '  the  wise  man '  correctly,"  she 
said  ;  "  but  you  remind  me  that  he  did  say  '  a  merry 
heart  doeth  good  like  a  medicine.'  It  is  like  mercy 
*  twice  blessed/  This  much,  at  least,  I  know  is  true  ; 
•  and  Mr.  Van  Berg's  words  have  put  us  all  at  sea  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  is  well  to  find  one  wee  solid 
point  to  stand  on." 

As  the  artist  passed  out  he  found  opportunity  to 
whisper  in  her  ear  : 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  I  honor  the  woman 
who  with  her  sad  heart  makes  others  '  merry.'  ' 

She  blushed  and  smiled,  but  only  said  :  "  How 
blind  you  are,  IVIr.  Van  Berg  !  Can't  you  perceive 
that  nothing  else  does  me  so  much  good  ?  Now  you 
see  how  selfish  I  am  !  " 


SUNDAY  TABLE-TALK.  26l 

Ida  saw  him  whisper,  and  noted  the  answering 
smile  and  blush.  Was  it  strange  that  so  slight  a 
thing  should  depress  her  more  than  all  the  evils  of  the 
present  world  and  the  world  to  come  ? 

Surely,  since  human  hearts  are  what  they  are,  a 
far-away  God  would  be  like  the  sun  of  the  tropics  to 
the  ice-bound  at  the  poles. 


262  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

A   FAMILY   GROUP. 

THE  old  adage,  that  "  as  the  wine  comes  in  the 
man  steps  out,"  was  not  true  of  Sibley,  for 
the  man  had  stepped  out  permanently  long  since. 
But  not  very  much  wine  was  required  to  overthrow  the 
flimsy  barriers  of  self-restraint  and  courtesy  that  he 
tried  to  interpose  in  his  sober  moments  between  his 
true  self  and  society.  Mr.  Burleigh  frowned  at  him 
more  than  once  during  the  dinner-hour,  and  was  glad 
to  see  him  stroll  off  in  the  grounds  with  his  boon 
companions. 

Stan  ton  followed  the  Mayhews  to  their  rooms,  for 
he  wished  to  remonstrate  with  Ida  and  Mrs.  May- 
hew  in  regard  to  their  apparent  intimacy  with  the 
fellow. 

"  Ida,"  he  said,  "  do  you  realize  the  force  of  your 
words  to  Mr.  Van  Berg  at  the  table  to-day,  taken  in 
connection  with  your  action  ?  You  said,  '  congenial 
society  for  me,  or  none  at  all.'  Whatever  Van's 
faults  are,  he  is  a  perfect  gentleman  ;  and  yet  you 
treat  him  as  rudely  and  coldly  as  you  can,  and  assert 
by  your  actions  that  Sibley's  society  is  by  far  the 
most  congenial  to  you." 


A   FAMILY  GROUP.  363 

Ida's  overstrained  nerves  gave  way,  and  she  said, 
irritably  : 

"  You  understood  the  cheerful  questions  of  our 
appetizing  table-talk  to-day  better  than  you  under 
stand  me  ;  so  please  be  still." 

"  Oh,  pshaw,  Ik,"  commenced  Mrs.  Mayhew,  who 
now  began  to  wake  up  since  the  theme  was  quite 
within  her  sphere,  "  you  are  affecting  very  Puritani 
cal  views  of  late.  It  does  not  seem  so  very  long 
since  you  and  Sibley  were  good  friends." 

"  It  is  within  the  memory  of  woman,  if  not  of  man," 
added  Ida,  maliciously,  "  since  you  drank  his  brandy, 
and  considerable  of  it,  too." 

Stanton  flushed  angrily  but  controlled  himself. 

"  He  was  never  my  friend  —  never  more  than  an 
acquaintance,"  he  said  emphatically,  "and  I  never 
before  knew  him  as  well  as  I  do  now.  Moreover,  I 
may  as  well  say  it  plainly,  I  am  through  with  that 
style  of  men,  forever.  There  is  little  prospect  of  my 
ever  becoming  saint-like,  but  I  shall,  at  least,  cease 
to  be  vulgar  in  my  associations.  I  protest  against 
Sibley's  coming  to  our  table  again." 

"You  are  absurdly  unreasonable,"  replied  Mrs. 
Mayhew  in  an  aggrieved  tone.  "  Sibley  is  only  sow 
ing  his  wild  oats  now  as  you  did  in  the  past.  I 
don't  know  why  he  is  not  as  good  as  your  friend  Mr. 
Van  Berg,  who,  as  far  as  I  can  make  out,  is  more  of 
an  infidel  than  anything  else.  I  never  could  endure 
these  doubting,  unsettling  people." 

"  I  admit  that  Sibley  is  established,"  said  Stanton. 
"  There  is  little  prospect  of  his  ever  getting  out  of 
the  mire  in  which  he  is  now  imbedded." 


264  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

"  Nonsense  !  What  has  Sibley  done  that  is  par 
ticularly  out  of  the  way,  more  than  you  and  other 
young  men  ?  I'm  sure  his  family  is  quite  as  rich  and 
fashionable  as  that  of  this  artist." 

"  More  rich  and  fashionable.  There  is  just  the 
difference  between  the  Sibleys  and  the  Van  Bergs 
that  there  is  between  a  drop  curtain  at  a  theatre  and 
one  of  Bierstadt's  oil  paintings.  There  is  more  paint 
and  surface  in  the  former,  but  truth  and  genius  in  the 
latter.  If  you  prefer  paint  and  surface  it  is  a  matter 
of  taste." 

"  I  won't  endure  such  insinuations  from  you/'  said 
Mrs.  Mayhew,  indignantly. 

"  Oh,  hush  mother  !  "  said  Ida,  quietly.  "  I  think 
Ik  is  very  magnanimous  in  praising  his  friend  in 
view  of  circumstances  that  are  becoming  quite  ap 
parent.  Possibly  he  is  exaggerating  a  little,  in  order 
to  show  us  what  a  great,  generous  soul  he  has. 
For  one,  I  would  like  to  know  wherein  this  superior 
race  of  Van  Bergs  differs  from  those  who  have  had 
the  presumption  to  suppose  themselves  at  least 
equals." 

Ida's  allusion  and  tone  stung  Stanton  into  saying 
more  than  he  intended,  and  thus  the  girl's  artifice 
became  successful.  Hearing  about  Van  Berg  and 
all  that  related  to  him  was  like  looking  out  of  a  des 
ert  into  a  fruitful  oasis  ;  and  yet  cruel  as  was  the  fas 
cination,  it  was  also  irresistible. 

"The  manner  in  which  the  Van  Bergs  live,  would 
be  a  revelation  to  you,"  said  Stanton,  angrily,  "  and 
one  undoubtedly  not  at  all  to  your  taste.  In  com 
parison  with  the  Sibley  show  -  rooms,  which  are 


A    FAMILY  GROUP.  26$ 

stuffed  and  crowded  with  costly  and  incongruous 
trumpery,  Mrs.  Van  Berg's  house  would  seem  very 
plain  ;  but  to  one  capable  of  distinguishing  the  differ 
ence,  the  evidence  of  mind  and  taste,  instead  of  mere 
money,  is  seen  on  every  side.  Simplicity  and  beauty 
are  united  as  far  as  possible.  Everything  is  the  best 
of  its  kind  and  devoid  of  veneer  and  sham.  There  is 
no  lavish  and  vulgar  profusion,  and  there  is  a  harmony 
of  color  and  decoration  that  makes  every  room  a  pic 
ture  in  itself.  Moreover,  the  house  does  not  grow 
suddenly  shabby  after  you  leave  those  parts  which  are 
seen  by  visitors.  It  is  all  genuine  and  high-toned, 
like  the  people  who  live  in  it." 

"What  sort  of  people  are  Mrs.  Van  Berg  and  her 
daughter?"  Ida  asked,  with  averted  face  and  low 
constrained  voice. 

"  Mrs.  Van  Berg  comes  of  a  family  that  has  been 
aristocratic  for  several  generations,  and  one  that  has 
been  singularly  free  from  black  sheep.  She  appears 
to  strangers  somewhat  reserved  and  stately,  but  when 
you  become  better  acquainted  you  find  she  has  a 
warm,  kind  heart.  But  she  has  a  perfect  horror  of 
vulgarity.  If  she  had  seen  this  Sibley  take  more 
wine  than  he  ought  and  make  a  spectacle  of  himself 
at  a  public  table,  she  would  no  more  admit  him  to 
her  parlor  than  a  Bowery  rough.  Mere  wealth  would 
not  turn  the  scale  a  hair  in  his  favor.  If  she  has  im 
pressed  on  her  son  one  trait  more  than  another,  it  is 
this  disgust  with  all  kinds  of  vulgar  people  and  vul 
gar  vice.  I  don't  think  Van  will  sit  down  at  the  same 
table  with  Sibley  again,  or  permit  Miss  Burton  to 
do  so." 

12 


266  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Ida  averted  her  face  still  farther,  but  said  nothing. 

"Indeed!"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew;  "and  has  Miss 
Burton  given  him  the  rights  of  a  protector." 

"  Sorry  to  disappoint  you,  aunt  ;  but  I  have  no 
nice  bit  of  gossip  to  report.  Miss  Burton  is  an  or 
phan,  and  so  any  friend  of  hers  has  a  right  to  protect 
her.  I  would  have  taken  this  matter  into  my  own 
hands  were  it  not  out  of  consideration  for  you  and 
Ida,  who  unfortunately  have  permitted  yourselves  to 
be  identified  with  Sibley  as  his  especial  friends.  In 
deed,  most  in  the  house  regard  him  as  Ida's  favored 
or  accepted  suitor.  But  I  warn  you  to  cut  loose 
from  him  at  once  or  you  may  suffer  a  severe  humilia 
tion.  If  you  and  Ida  will  continue  to  encourage  him, 
then  I  tell  you  plainly  I  shall  follow  you  no  further 
into  the  slough." 

The  maiden  stamped  her  foot  and  made  an  em 
phatic  gesture  of  rage  and  protest,  but  did  not  trust 
herself  to  answer  the  cruel  words,  each  one  of  which 
was  like  the  thrust  of  a  knife. 

But  Mrs.  Mayhew,  whose  desire  to  be  respecta 
ble  was  a  ruling  passion,  now  became  thoroughly 
alarmed  and  said  hastily  : 

"  Mr.  Sibley  is  certainly  nothing  to  me,  and  I  hope 
nothing  to  Ida.  Get  rid  of  him  any  way  you  can, 
since  things  have  reached  the  pass  you  represent.  If 
society  is  going  to  put  him  under  ban,  we  must  cut 
him ;  that's  all  there  is  about  it,  and  his  behavior  at 
dinner  gives  us  an  excuse." 

During  this  conversation  Mr.  Mayhew  had  been 
lying  on  a  sofa  with  closed  eyes,  and  as  motionless  as 
if  he  were  dead.  Now  he  said  in  low,  bitter  tones  : 


A   FAMILY   GROUP.  26j 

"  Mark  it  well — an  excuse,  not  a  reason.  O,  virtue  ! 
how  beautiful  thou  art !  " 

"  You  are  the  last  one  in  the  world  to  speak  on 
this  subject,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew,  angrily. 

"  Right  again.  You  see,  Ik,  my  family  never  before 
met  a  man  who  promised  to  make  such  an  appropri 
ate  addition  to  our  number.  It's  a  pity  you  are  inter 
fering  ;"  and  he  poured  out  a  large  glass  of  brandy. 

"  Would  to  God  I  had  died  before  I  had  seen  this 
day  !  "  cried  Ida  in  a  tone  of  such  sharp  agony  that 
all  turned  towards  her  in  questioning  surprise  ;  but 
she  rushed  into  her  own  room  and  locked  the  door 
after  her. 

"  Things  have  gone  farther  between  her  and  Sibley 
than  we  thought,"  said  Stanton,  gloomily. 

"  Well,  Ik,"  said  Mr.  Mayhew  with  a  laugh  that 
was  dreadful  to  hear,  "  you  had  better  cut  loose  from 
us.  We  are  all  going  to  the  devil  by  the  shortest  cut." 

"  Would  to  heaven  I  had  never  seen  you  !  "  cried 
Mrs.  Mayhew,  hysterically.  "  You  are  the  one  who  is 
dragging  us  down.  If  my  nephew  deserts  us,  I  will 
brand  him  as  a  coward  and  no  gentleman." 

"  I'll  not  desert  you  unless  you  desert  yourself," 
said  Stanton,  with  a  gesture  of  disgust  and  impatience ; 
"  but  if  you  persist  in  going  down  into  the  deepest 
quagmires  you  can  find,  you  cannot  expect  me  to  fol 
low  you  ;"  and  with  these  words  he  left  the  room. 

Mr.  Mayhew  was  soon  sunk  in  the  deepest  lethargy, 
and  his  wife  spent  the  afternoon  in  impotently  fret 
ting  and  fuming  against  her  "  miserable  fate,"  as  she 
termed  it,  and  in  trying  to  devise  some  way  of  keep 
ing  up  appearances. 


263  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

RATHER   VOLCANIC. 

OTANTON  was  glad  to  escape  from  the  house 
^-J  after  the  interview  described  in  the  previous 
chapter ;  and  observing  that  Van  Berg  was  reclining 
under  a  tree  at  some  little  distance  from  the  hotel, 
strolled  thither  and  threw  himself  down  on  the  grass 
beside  him.  But  his  perturbation  was  so  evident  that 
his  friend  remarked  :  '  •  *  ' 

t(  You  are  out  of  sorts,  Ik.  What's  the  matter  ?  " 
tl  I've  been  settling  this  Sibley  business  with  my 
aunt  and  cousin,"  snarled  Stanton  ;  "  and  some  woolen 
always  make  such  blasted  fools  of  themselves.  But 
they  won't  have  anything  more  to  do  with  him  ;  at 
least,  I'm  sure  my  aunt  won't.  As  for  Ida — but  the 
less  said  the  better.  I'm  so  out  of  patience  with  her 
folly  that  I  can't  trust  myself  to  speak  of  her." 

"  Stanton,"  said  Van  Berg,  gloomily,  "you  have 
no  idea  of  the  regret  and  disquiet  which  that  girl  has 
caused  me  as  an  artist.  I  have  seen  her  features  now 
for  weeks,  and  I  cannot  help  looking  at  them,  for  they 
almost  realize  my  ideal  of  perfection.  But  the  asso 
ciations  of  this  beauty  are  beginning  to  irritate  me 
beyond  endurance." 


RATHER    VOLCANIC.  269 

I 
"It  was  a  motley  crowd  that  I  was  the   means  of 

bringing  to  your  table,"  said  Stanton,  with  an  oath  ; 
"  and  I've  no  doubt  you  have  wished-us  all  away  many 
times." 

Van  Berg  laid  his  hand  on  his  friend's  arm,  and 
looked  into  his  eyes. 

"  Ik,"  he  said  slowly,  <(  I  was  your  friend  when  I 
came  here — I  am  your  friend  still.  If  I  cannot  love 
you  better  than  I  do  myself,  you  must  forgive  me. 
But  I  shall  never  take  one  unfair  advantage  of  you, 
and  I  recognize  the  fact  that  you  have  equal  rights 
with  myself.  Ik,  let  us  be  frank  with  each  other  this 
once  more,  and  then  the  future  must  settle  all  ques 
tions.  The  woman  we  both  love  is  too  pure  and  good 
for  either  of  us  to  do  a  mean  thing  to  win  her.  Do 
your  best,  old  fellow.  If  you  succeed,  I  will  con 
gratulate  you  with  an  honest  heart  even  though  it  be 
a  heavy  one.  I  shall  not  detract  from  you  in  the 
slightest  degree,  or  cease  to  show  for  you  the  thorough 
liking  and  respect  that  I  feel.  It  shall  simply  be  a 
maiden's  choice  between  us  two  ;  and  you  know  it  is 
said  that  the  heart  makes  this  choice  for  reasons  in 
explicable  even  to  itself." 

"  Van,  you  are  a  noble,  generous  fellow,"  said  the 
impulsive  Stanton,  grasping  his  friend's  hand.  "  I 
must  admit  that  you  have  been  a  fair  and  considerate 
rival.  Even  my  jealousy  could  find  no  fault."  Then 
he  added,  in  deep  despondency :  "  But  it  is  of  no  use. 
You  have  virtually  won  already." 

"  No,"  said  Van  Berg,  thoughtfully,  "  I  wish  you 
were  not  mistaken,  but  you  are.  There  is  something 
in  her  manner  towards  me  at. times  which  I  cannot 


2;o  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

i 

understand  ;  but  I  have  a  conviction  that  I  have  not 
touched  her  heart." 

"  She  does  not  avoid  you  as  she  does  me,"  said 
Stanton,  moodily. 

41  No,  she  accepts  of  my  society  much  too  frankly 
and  composedly,"  answered  Van  Berg  with  a  shrug. 
"  I  fear  that  I  can  join  her  anywhere  and  at  any  time 
without  quickening  her  pulse  or  deepening  the  color 
in  her  cheeks.  Now,  Ik,  we  understand  each  other. 
Happy  the  man  who  wins,  and  if  you  are  the  fortu 
nate  one,  I'll  dance  at  your  wedding,  and  no  one 
shall  see  that  I  carry  a  thousand  pounds  weight,  more 
or  less,  in  my  heart." 

"  I  can't  promise  to  do  as  much  for  you,  Van," 
said  Stanton,  trying  to  smile.  "  I  could  not  come  to 
your  wedding.  In  fact,  Van,  I — I  hardly  know  what 
I  would  do — what  I  will  do.  A  few  weeks  since  and 
the  world  was  abundantly  satisfactory.  Now  it  is 
becoming  a  vacuum.  I  fear  I  haven't  a  ghost  of  a 
chance,  and  I — I — don't  like  to  think  of  the  future. 
Ye  gods  !  What  a  change  one  little  woman  can  make 
in  a  man's  life  !  I  used  to  laugh  at  these  things,  and 
for  the  past  few  years  thought  myself  invulnerable. 
And  yet,  Van,"  he  added  with  sudden  energy,  "  I 
think  the  better  of  myself  that  I  can  love  and  honor 
that  woman.  Did  I  regard  her  now  as  I  supposed  I 
would  when  you  first  uttered  your  half-jesting  pro 
phecy,  what  a  base,  soulless  anatomy  I  would  be " 

"  Sacre  !  here  comes  Sibley  and  others  of  the  same 
ilk,  gabbling  like  the  unmitigated  fools  that  they 
are." 

Van   Berg   turned   his  back  upon  the   advancing 


RATHER    VOLCANIC.  2? I 

party  in  an  unmistakable  manner,  and  Stanton 
smoked  with  a  stolid,  impassive  face  that  had  any 
thing  but  a  welcome  in  it.  Sibley  was  just  suffi 
ciently  excited  by  wine  to  act  out  recklessly  his  evil 
self. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Stanton  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 
"Your  phiz  is  as  long  as  if  the  world  looked  black 
and  blue  as  a  prize-fighter's  eye.  Is  Sunday  an  off 
day  in  your  flirtation  ?  Does  the  little  school-ma'am 
take  after  her  Puritan  daddies,  and  say  '  Hold  thy 
hand  till  Monday  ?  '  Get  her  out  of  the  crowd,  and 
you'll  find  it  all  a  pretence." 

Stanton  rose  to  his  feet,  but  was  so  quiet  that  Sib- 
ley  did  not  realize  the  storm  he  was  raising.  Van 
Berg  remained  on  the  ground  with  his  back  to  the 
party,  but  was  smoking  furiously. 

By  an  effort  at  self-control  that  made  his  voice 
harsh  and  constrained,  Stanton  said,  briefly : 

"  Mr.  Sibley,  I  request  that  you  never  mention  that 
lady's  name  to  me  again  in  any  circumstances.  I 
request  that  you  never  mention  her  name  to  any  one 
else  except  in  tones  and  words  of  the  utmost  respect. 
I  make  these  requests  politely,  as  is  befitting  the  day 
and  my  own  self-respect ;  but  if  you  disregard  them 
the  consequences  to  you  will  be  very  serious." 

"  Good  Lord,  Stanton  !  has  she  treated  you  so 
badly  !  But  don't  take  it  to  heart.  It's  all  Yankee 
thrift,  designed  to  enhance  her  value.  We  are  all 
men  of  the  world  here,  and  know  what  women  are. 
If  its  true  every  man  has  his  price,  every  woman  has 
a  smaller " 

Before  he  could  utter  another  word  a  blow  in    his 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED, 

face  from  Stanton  sent  him  sprawling  to  the  earth. 
He  sprang  up  and  was  about  to  draw  a  concealed 
weapon,  when  his  companions  interfered  and  held  him. 

"  I  shall  settle  with  you  for  this,"  he  half  shouted, 
grinding  his  teeth. 

"  You  shall  indeed,  sir,"  said  Stanton,  "  and  as 
early,  too,  as  the  light  will  permit  to-morrow.  Here 
is  my  friend  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  pointing  to  the  artist 
who  stood  beside  him,  "  and  you  have  your  friends 
with  you.  You  must  either  apologize,  or  meet  me 
as  soon  as  Sunday  is  past." 

"  I'll  meet  you  now,"  cried  Sibley,  with  a  volley  of 
oaths.  "  I  want  no  cowardly  subterfuge  of  Sunday." 

Stanton  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  said  decid 
edly  : 

"  No  ;  I'm  not  a  blackguard  like  yourself,  and  out  of 
respect  for  the  Sabbath  and  others  I  will  have  nothing 
more  to  do  with  you  to-day ;  but  I  will  meet  you  to 
morrow  as  soon  as  it  is  light  ;  "  and  Stanton  turned 
away  to  avoid  further  provocation. 

Van  Berg  thus  far  had  stood  quietly  one  side,  but 
his  face  had  that  white,  rigid  aspect  which  indicates 
the  rare  but  dangerous  anger  of  men  usually  quiet 
and  undemonstrative  in  their  natures. 

"  Now  that  you  are  through,  Stanton,  I  have  some 
thing  to  say  concerning  this  affair,"  he  began,  in 
words  that  were  as  clean-cut  and  hard  as  steel.  "  If 
you  propose  to  give  this  fellow  a  dog's  whipping  to 
morrow,  I  will  go  with  you  and  witness  the  well- 
deserved  chastisement.  But  if  you  are  intending  a 
conventional  duel,  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  it, 
for  two  reasons.  The  first  reason  this  fellow  will  not 


RATHER    VOLCANIC.  273 

understand.  Duelling  is  against  my  principles,  and  he 
knows  nothing  of  principle.  But  even  if  I  accepted 
the  old  and  barbarous  code,  I  should  insist  that  a 
friend  of  mine  should  fight  with  a  gentleman  and  not 
a  low  blackguard." 

"  You  use  that  epithet  again  at  your  peril,"  hissed 
Sibley,  advancing  a  step  towards  him. 

Van  Berg  made  a  gesture  of  contempt  toward  the 
speaker  as  he  turned  and  said  : 

"  You  understand  me,  Stanton  ;  it  is  not  from  any 
lack  of  loyalty  toward  you  as  my  friend  ;  but  I  would 
not  be  worthy  of  your  friendship  were  I  false  to  my 
sense  of  duty  and  honor." 

"  You  are  both  white-livered  cowards,"  roared 
Sibley.  "  One  sneaks  off  under  cover  of  the  day — 
I  never  saw  a  fellow  taken  with  a  pious  fit  so  suddenly 
before  ;  the  other,  in  order  to  keep  his  skin  whole, 
prates  of  his  dread  lest  his  principles  be  punctured. 
The.  devil  take  you  both  for  a  brace  of  champion 
sneaks  ;  "  and  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  was  about 
to  stalk  away  with  a  grand  air  of  superiority,  when 
Van  Berg  said,  emphatically  : 

"  Wait  a  moment ;  I'm  not  through  with  you  yet ; 
I  give  you  but  a  brief  half-hour  to  complete  your  ar 
rangements  for  leaving  the  hotel." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  said  Sibley,  turning  fiercely 
upon  him. 

"  I  mean,  sir,  that  your  presence  in  that  house  is 
an  insult  to  every  lady  in  it,  which  I,  as  a  gentleman, 
shall  no  longer  permit.  Curse  you,  had  you  no 
mother  that  you  could  thus  insult  all  good  women  by 
the  remark  you  made  a  few  moments  since  ?  " 
12* 


274  A   r'ACE  ILLUMINED. 

Half  beside  himself  with  rage,  Sibley  drew  a  pistol ; 
but  before  he  could  aim  correctly  one  of  his  compan 
ions  struck  up  his  hand  and  the  bullet  whizzed  harm 
lessly  over  Van  Berg's  head. 

There  was  a  faint  scream  from  the  house,  which 
indicated  that  the  scene  had  been  witnessed  by  some 
lady  there. 

The  intense  passion  of  the  artist,  which  manifested 
itself  characteristically,  held  him  unflinching  to  his 
purpose. 

"  So  you  can  be  a  murderer  also  ?  "  he  said,  scorn 
fully.  "  It  would  almost  compensate  a  man  for 
being  shot,  if,  as  a  result,  you  could  be  hung." 

Sibley's  companions  speedily  disarmed  him,  strongly 
remonstrating  in  the  meantime.  He,  in  sudden  re 
vulsion,  began  to  realize  what  he  had  attempted,  and 
his  flushed  face  became  very  pale. 

"  Let  them  leave  me  alone,"  he  growled  sullenly, 
"  and  I'll  leave  them  alone." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  cried  Sibley's 
companions,  "  let  the  matter  end  here,  lest  worse 
come  of  it." 

In  the  same  steely,  relentless  tones,  which  made 
every  word  seem  like  a  bullet,  Van  Berg  took  out  his 
watch,  and  said  : 

''It  is  now  four  o'clock,  sir.  After  half-past 
four,  you  must  not  show  your  libertine's  face  in 
that  house  again,  while  there's  a  lady  in  it  that  1 
respect." 

"Burleigh  is  proprietor  of  that  house,"  replied 
Sibley,  doggedly  ;  "  and  I'll  stay  up  the  entire  week, 
just  to  spite  you." 


RATHER    VOLCANIC. 


275 


"  Let  us  go  to  Burleigh,  then,"  said  the  artist, 
promptly.  "  We  will  settle  this  question  at  once." 

Sibley  readily  agreed  to  this  appeal  to  his  host, 
fully  believing  that  he  would  try  to  smooth  over  mat 
ters  and  assure  Van  Berg  that  he  could  not  turn  away 
a  wealthy  and  profitable  guest ;  and  so,  without  fur 
ther  parley,  they  all  repaired  to  Mr.  Burleigh's  private 
office,  arousing  that  gentleman  from  an  afternoon 
nap  to  a  state  of  mind  that  effectually  banished  drow 
siness  for  the  remainder  of  the  day. 

"  Mr.  Burleigh,"  began  Sibley,  indignantly,  "  this 
fellow,  Van  Berg,  has  the  impudence  to  say  that  I 
must  leave  this  house  within  half  an  hour.  I  wish 
you  to  inform  him  that  you  are  the  proprietor  of  this 
establishment." 

"  Humph, "remarked  Mr.  Burleigh,  phlegmatically, 
"that  is  your  side  of  the  story.  Now,  Mr.  Van 
Berg,  let  us  have  yours." 

"  Mr.  Burleigh,"  said  Van  Berg,  in  tones  that 
straightened  up  the  languid  host  in  his  easy  chair, 
"  would  you  permit  a  known  and  recognized  disrepu 
table  woman  to  be  flaunting  about  this  hotel  ?  " 

"  You  know  me  better  than  to  ask  such  a  ques 
tion,"  said  the  landlord,  the  color  of  his  ruddy  cheeks 
suddenly  deepening. 

"  Well,  sir,  I  claim  that  a  man  who  bears  precisely 
the  same  character  is  no  more  to  be  tolerated  ;  and 
I  have  learned  to  respect  you  as  one  whom  no  con 
sideration  could  induce  to  permit  the  presence  of  a 
human  beast,  whose  every  thought  of  woman  is  an 
insult" 

"  It's  all  an  infernal  lie,"  began  Sibley.      "  I  only 


2;6  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

made  a  slight,  half-jesting  allusion  to  that  prudish 
little  school  ma'am  that  these  fellows  are  so  cracked 
over ;  and  they  have  gone  on  like  mad  bulls  ever 
since." 

Mr.  Burleigh  started  to  his  feet  with  a  tremendous 
oath. 

"  You  made  an  '  allusion,'  as  you  term  it,  to  Miss 
Burton,  eh  ! — the  young  lady  who  was  put  under 
my  charge,  and  who  comes  from  one  of  the  best  fam 
ilies  in  New  England.  I  know  what  kind  of  allusions 
fellows  of  your  kidney  make  ;  "  and  the  incensed 
host  struck  his  bell  sharply. 

"  Send  the  porter  here  instantly,"  he  said  to  the 
boy  who  .answered. 

11  What  do  you  mean  to  do?"  asked  Sibley,  turn 
ing  pale. 

"  I  mean  to  put  you  out  of  my  house  within  the 
next  ten  minutes,"  said  Mr.  Burleigh,  emphatically. 
"  You  might  as  well  have  made  an  allusion  to  my 
wife  as  to  Miss  Burton  ;  and  let  me  tell  you  that  if 
you  wag  your  wanton  tongue  again,  I'll  have  my 
colored  waiters  whip  you  off  the  premises." 

"  But  where  shall  I  go  ? "  whined  Sibley,  now 
thoroughly  cowed. 

"  Go  the  nearest  kennel  or  sty  you  can  find. 
Either  place  would  be  more  appropriate  for  you  than 
my  house.  Mr.  Van  Berg  and  Mr.  Stanton,  I  thank 
you  for  your  conduct  in  this  affair.  You  are  correct 
in  supposing  that  I  wish  to  entertain  only  gentlemen 
and  ladies." 

Sibley  now  began  to  bluster  about  law  and  ven 
geance. 


RATHER    VOLCANIC,  277 

"Be  still,  sir,"  thundered  Mr.  Burleigh.  "One 
of  the  carriages  will  take  you  to  the  depot  or  landing 
as  you  choose.  After  that,  trouble  me  or  mine  again 
at  your  peril.  Now,  be  off.  No,  I'll  not  take  any 
of  your  dirty  money ;  and  if  these  friends  of  yours 
wish  to  go  with  you,  they  are  welcome  to  do  so." 

"  We  are  only  acquaintances  of  Mr.  Sibley's,"  cho 
rused  his  late  companions,  "and  merely  came  in 
to  see  fair  play/' 

"  Well,  you  haven't  seen  '  fair  play,1  "  growled  Mr.. 
Burleigh  ;  "  I've  treated  the  fellow  much  better  than 
he  deserves." 

Before  Sibley  could  realize  it,  a  carnage  whirled 
him  and  his  baggage  away.  His  reckless  anger  hav 
ing  evaporated,  the  base  and  cowardly  instincts  of 
his  nature  resumed  their  sway,  and  he  was  glad  to 
slink  off  to  New  York,  thus  escaping  further  danger 
and  trouble. 


2;8  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

EVIL  LIVES   CAST  DARK   SHADOWS. 

/"CHANGES  in  the  world  without  often  make  sad 
V_x  havoc  in  our  content  and  happiness.  Loss  of 
fortune  and  friends,  removal  to  new  scenes,  death 
and  disaster,  sometimes  so  alter  the  outlook  that  we 
have  to  ask  ourselves :  Is  this  the  same  earth  in 
which  we  have  dwelt  hitherto  ?  But  the  changes  that 
can  most  blast  and  blacken,  or,  on  the  other  hand, 
glorify  the  world  about  us,  are  those  which  take 
place  within  our  own  souls. 

Such  a  radical  change  had  apparently  taken  place 
in  Ida  Mayhew's  world.  She  was  bewildered  with 
her  trouble,  and  could  not  understand  the  dreary  out 
look.  She  had  come  to  the  Lake  House  but  a  few 
weeks  before,  a  vain,  light-hearted  maiden,  looking 
upon  life  with  laughing  and  thoughtless  glances,  and 
having  no  more  definite  purposes  than  the  butterfly 
that  flits  from  flower  to  flower,  caring  not  which  are 
harmless  and  which  poisonous,  so  that  they  yield  a 
momentary  sweetness. 

But  now,  for  causes  utterly  unforeseen  and  half- 
inexplicable,  all  flowers  had  withered,  and  the  old 
pleasures  once  so  exhilarating  were  a  weariness  even 
in  thought.  Her  world,  once  a  pleasure  garden,  had 


,       EVIL  LIVES  CAST  DARK  SHADOWS.          379 

been  transformed  into  a  path  so  thorny  and  flinty  that 
every  step  brought  new  bruises  and  lacerations  ;  and 
it  led  away  among  shadows  so  cold  and  dark,  that 
she  shivered  at  the  thought  of  her  prospective  life. 

Her  heart  had  so  suddenly  and  thoroughly  betrayed 
her,  that  she  was  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  help 
lessness  and  perplexity.  The  spoiled  and  flattered 
girl  had  always  been  accustomed  to  have  her  own 
way.  Self-gratification  had  been  the  rule  and  habit 
of  her  life.  If  Van  Berg  had  only  admired  and 
complimented  her,  if  he  had  joined  the  honeyed 
chorus  of  flattery  that  had  waited  on  her  sensuous 
beauty,  his  voice  would  probably  have  been  unheeded 
and  lost  among  many  others.  But  his  sharp  demand 
for  something  more  than  a  face  and  form  had 
awakened  her,  and  to  her  dismay  she  learned  that  her 
real  and  lasting  self  was  as  dwarfed  and  deformed  as 
her  transient  and  outward  self  was  perfect. 

The  artist  seemed  to  her  princely,  regal  even,  in 
his  strong  cultivated  manhood,  his  lofty  calling  and 
ambition,  and  his  high  social  rank.  As  for  herself, 
it  now  appeared  that  her  beauty,  whose  spell  she  had 
thought  no  man  could  resist,  had  only  lured  him  to 
her  side  long  enough  to  discover  what  she  was  and 
who  she  was,  and  then  he  had  turned  away  in  disgust. 

From  their  first  moment  of  meeting,  she  felt  that 
she  had  been  peculiarly  unfortunate  in  the  impres 
sions  she  had  made  upon  him.  Her  attendant  at  the 
concert-garden  had  been  a  fool ;  and  now  he  was 
associating  her  with  a  man  whom  he  more  than 
despised.  She  believed  that  he  pitied  her  father  as 
the  victim  of  a  wife's  heartlessness  and  a  daughter's 


2g0  A  FACE  1LLVMTNED. 

selfishness  and  frivolity,  and  that  he  felt  a  repugnance 
toward  her  mother  which  his-  politeness  could  not 
wholly  disguise.  He  was  probably  learning  to  char 
acterize  them  in  his  mind  by  her  father's  horrible 
words — "froth  and  mud." 

Such  miserable  thoughts  were  flocking  round  her 
1<e  croaking  ravens  as  she  sat  rigid  and  motionless 
in  her  room,  'her  form  tense  from  the  severity  of  her 
mental  distress.  Suddenly  Sibley's  loud  tones,  and 
her  cousin's  voice  in  reply,  caught  her  attention,  and 
she  opened  the  lattice  of  the  blinds.  She  had  scarce 
ly  done  so  before  she  saw  Stanton  strike  the  blow 
which  had  felled  Sibley  to  the  earth. 

With  breathless  interest  she  watched  the  scene  till 
Van  Berg  stepped  forward.  Then  she  sprang  to  a 
drawer,  and  taking  out  a  small  field-glass  which  she 
carried  on  her  summer  excursions  was  able  to  see  the 
expression  of  the  young  men's  faces,  although  she 
could  not  distinguish  their  words.  The  stern,  mena 
cing  aspect  of  the  artist  made  her  tremble  even  at  her 
distance,  and  it  was  evident  that  his  words  were 
throwing  Sibley  into  a  transport  of  rage  ;  and  when 
in  his  passion  he  tried  to  shoot  Van  Berg,  she  could 
not  repress  the  cry  that  attracted  their  attention. 

Her  mother,  in  the  adjoining  room,  commenced 
knocking  at  the  door,  asking  what  was  the  matter, 
but  received  no  answer  until  Ida  saw  that  the  young 
men  were  coming  toward  the  house.  Then  she  threw 
open  the  door,  and  told  Mrs.  Mayhew  that  she  had 
seen  something  that  looked  like  a  large  spider,  and 
that  nothing  was  the  matter.  Without  waiting-  for 
further  questioning  she  flitted  hastily  down-stairs  and 


EVIL   LIVES   CAST  DARK  SHADOWS,  28l 

from  one  concealed  post  of  observation  to  another 
until  she  saw  the  angry  party  enter  Mr.  Burleigh's 
private  office.  A  small  parlor  next  to  it  was  empty, 
and  once  within  it.  the  loud  tones  spoken  on  the  other 
side  of  the  slight  partition  were  distinctly  heard. 

As  she  listened  to  the  words  which  Van  Berg  and 
Mr.  Burleigh  addressed  to  the  man  whom  all  in  the 
house  had  regarded  as  her  accepted  lover,  or  at  least 
her  congenial  friend,  her  cheeks  grew  scarlet,  and 
when  he  was  dismissed  from  the  house,  she  fled  to 
her  room  ;  wishing  that  it  were  a  place  in  which  she 
might  hide  forever,  so  overwhelming  was  her  sense 
of  shame  and  humiliation. 

How  could  she  meet  the  guests  of  the  Lake  House 
again  ?  Worse  than  all,  how  could  she  meet  the 
scornful  eyes  of  the  man  who  had  driven  from  the 
place  the  suitor  that  she  was  supposed  to  favor  as 
he  might  have  scourged  away  a  dog. 

She  could  not  now  explain  that  Sibley  was  and 
ever  had  been  less  than  nothing  to  her — that  she  had 
both  detested  and  despised  him.  She  had  permitted 
herself  to  touch  pitch,  and  it  had  of  necessity  left  its 
stain.  To  go  about  now  and  proclaim  her  real  senti 
ments  toward  the  man  who  apparently  had  been 
her  favorite,  would  seem  to  others,  she  thought,  the 
quintessence  of  meanness.  She  felt  that  she  had 
been  caught  in  the  meshes  of  an  evil  web,  and  that 
it  was  useless  to  struggle. 

Despairing,  hopeless,  her  cheeks  burning  with 
shame  as  with  a  fever,  she  sat  hour  after  hour  refusing 
to  see  any  one.  She  would  not  go  down  to  supper. 
She  left  the  food  untasted  that  was  sent  to  her  room. 


A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

She  sat  staring  at  vacancy  until  her  face  became  a 
dim  pale  outline  in  the  deepening  twilight,  and  final 
ly  was  lost  in  the  shadow  of  night.  But  the  dark 
ness  that  gathered  around  the  poor  girl's  heart  was 
deeper  and  almost  akin  to  the  rayless  gloom  that 
positive  crime  creates,  so  nearly  did  she  feel  that  she 
was  associated  with  one  from  whom  her  woman's 
soul,  perverted  as  it  was,  shrank  with  inexpressible 
loathing. 

"  Ida  is  in  one  of  her  worst  tantrums,"  whispered 
Mrs.  Mayhew  to  Stanton  ;  "I  never  knew  her  to  act 
so  badly  as  she  has  of  late.  I  wouldn't  have  thought 
that  such  a  man  as  you  have  found  Sibley  to  be  could 
gain  so  great  a  hold  upon  her  feelings.  But  law  ! 
she'll  be  all  over  it  in  a  day  or  two.  Nothing  lasts 
with  Ida,  and  least  of  all,  a  beau." 

"  Well,"  said  Stanton,  bitterly,  "  she  is  disgracing 
herself  and  all  related  to  her  by  her  inexcusable  folly 
in  this  instance.  Those  who  pretended  to  be  Sibley's 
friends  at  dinner,  are  now  trying  to  win  a  little  re 
spectability  by  turning  against  him,  and  the  story 
of  his  behavior  is  circulating  through  the  house. 
All  will  soon  know  that  he  shot  at  Van  Berg,  and 
that  he  made  insulting  remarks  about  Miss  Burton. 
It  will  appear  to  every  one  as  if  Ida  were  sulking  in 
her  room  on  Sibley's  account  ;  and  people  are  usu 
ally  thought  to  be  no  better  than  their  friends." 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  half  sobbed  Mrs.  Mayhew,  "  won't 
you  go  up  to  her  room  and  show  her  the  conse 
quences  of  her  folly  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Stanton,  irritably;  "  not  to-night.  I 
know  her  too  well.  She  will  take  no  advice  from  me 


EVIL   LIVES   CAST  DARK  SHADOWS.  283 

or  any  one  else  at  present.  To-morrow  I  will  have 
one  more  plain  talk  with  her  ;  and  if  she  won't  listen 
to  reason  I  .wash  my  hands  of  her.  Where  is 
Uncle  ?" 

"  Don't  ask  me.  Was  there  ever  a  more  unfortu 
nate  woman  ?  With  such  a  husband  and  daughter, 
how  can  I  keep  up  appearances  ?  " 

Stanton  walked  away  with  a  gesture  of  disgust  and 
impatience. 

"  Curse  it  all  !  "  he  muttered  ;  "  and  their  shadows 
fall  on  me  too.  What  chance  have  I  with  the  snow- 
white  maiden  I'd  give  my  life  for  when  followed  by 
such  associations  ?  " 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


M 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE   DELIBERATE   WOOER   SPEAKS  FIRST. 

R.  BURLEIGH  was  one  of  those  fortunate 
men  who  when  the  weather  is  rough  outside 
— as  was  often  the  case  in  his  calling — can  always  find 
smooth  water  in  the  domestic  haven  of  a  wife's 
apartment.  Thus  Mrs.  Burleigh  soon  learned  the 
cause  of  his  perturbation  ;  and  as  she  knew  Jennie 
Burton  would  hear  the  story  from  some  one  else, 
could  not  deny  herself  the  feminine  enjoyment  of 
being  the  first  to  tell  it,  and  of  congratulating  her  on 
the  knightly  defender  she  had  secured  ;  for  the  quar 
rel  had  come  before  Mr.  Burleigh  in  such  a  form  as 
to  make  Van  Berg  the  principal  in  the  affair. 

Miss  Burton's  cheek  flushed  deeply  and  resentfully 
as  she  heard  the  circumstances  in  which  her  name 
had  been  spoken,  and  she  said  with  emphasis  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg  impressed  me  as  a  chivalric  man 
from  the  first  day  of  our  meeting.  But  I  wish  he  had 
paid  no  heed  to  the  words  of  such  a  creature  as  Mr. 
Sibley.  That  his  life  was  endangered  on  my  account 
pains  me  more  than  I  can  tell  you  ;"  and  she  soon 
grew  so  white  and  faint  that  Mrs.  Burleigh  made  her 
take  a  glass  of  wine. 

"  Death  seems  such  a  terrible  thing  in  a  young, 


THE   DELIBERATE    WOOER   SPEAKS  FIRST.      285 

strong  man,"  she  added,  shudderingly,  after  a  moment, 
and  she  pressed  her  hands  against  her  eyes  as  if  to 
shut  out  a  vision  from  which  she  shrank.  <(  May  he 
not  still  be  in  danger  from  this  ruffian's  revenge  ?  "  she 
asked,  looking  up  in  sudden  alarm. 

"  I'm  afraid  that  he  will  be,"  said  Mrs.  Burleigh, 
catching  the  infection  of  her  fears.  "  I  will  have  Mr. 
Burleigh  see  that  he  is  kept  away  from  the  place." 

Soon  after,  as  Miss  Burton  was  passing  through 
the  main  hall-way,  she  met  the  artist,  and  stepping 
into  one  of  the  small  parlors  that  was  unoccupied,  she 
said  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  wish  to  speak  with  you.  I  wish 
both  to  thank  you,  and  to  ask  a  favor." 

"  Please  do  the  latter  only,"  he  replied,  smiling. 

"Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  resumed,  looking  into  his 
face  with  an  expression  that  made  his  heart  beat  more 
quickly,  "  your  life  was  endangered  on  my  account 
this  afternoon." 

"  That's  a  pleasant  thought  to  me,"  he  said,  taking 
her  hand,  "  that  is  if  you  are  not  offended  that  I  pre 
sumed  to  be  your  knight." 

"  It  is  a  dreadful  thought  to  me,"  she  answered, 
earnestly  ;  then  in  a  strange  and  excited  manner  she 
added:  "You  cannot  know  —  death  to  some  is  a 
horrible  thing — it  prevents  so  much — I've  known — 
let  it  come  to  the  old  and  sad — I  could  welcome  it — 
but  to  such  as  you — O  merciful  Heaven  !  Grant  me, 
please  grant  me,  the  favor  I  would  ask,"  she  contin 
ued,  clinging  to  his  hand.  "  They  say  this  man 
Sibley  is  very  passionate  and  revengeful.  He  may 
still  try  to  carry  out  his  dreadful  purpose.  Please 


286  A   FACE   JLLUM1NRD. 

shun  him,  please  avoid  him  —  in  mercy  do.  I've 
more  than  I  can  bear  now;  and  if — if — "  and  she 
buried  her  face  in  her  hands. 

'*  And  can  my  poor  life  be  of  such  value  to  you, 
Miss  Burton  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  deep  low  tone. 

"Ah!  you  cannot  understand,"  she  said,  with  a 
sudden  and  passionate  gesture,  "and  I  entreat  you  not 
to  ask  me  to  explain.  From  the  first  you  have  been 
kind  to  me.  I  have  felt  from  the  day  we  met  that  I 
had  found  a  friend  in  you  ;  and  your  risk,  your  care 
for  me  to-day,  gives  you  a  peculiar  claim  as  a  friend, 
but  in  mercy  do  not  ask  me  to  explain  why  I  am  so 
urgent  in  my  request.  I  cannot,  indeed  I  cannot — at 
least  not  now,  in  this  place.  Something  happened 
— Sudden  death  in  one  young,  strong,  and  full  of 
hope,  like  you,  seems  to  me  horrible — horrible.  In 
mercy  promise  to  incur  no  risk  on  my  account,"  she 
said  passionately,  and  almost  wildly. 

"  My  poor  little  friend,  how  needlessly  frightened 
you  are  !  "  he  said,  soothingly  and  gently.  "  There, 
I  will  promise  you  anything  that  a  man  of  honor  can. 
But  a  word  against  you,  Jennie  Burton,  touches  me 
close,  very  close.  As  said  the  Earl  of  Kent,  '  It  in 
vades  the  region  of  my  heart.'  ' 

She  looked  up  swiftly  and  questioningly,  and  then 
a  sudden  crimson  suffused  her  face.  With  a  strong 
and  uncontrollable  instinct  she  appeared  to  shrink 
from  him. 

"  Kent  served  one  who  had  lost  the  power  to 
make  return,"  she  said,  shaking  her  head  sadly  as 
she  turned  away. 

"  Let  me  reply  with   Kent  again,"    he  earnestly 


f 

THE   DELIBERATE    WOOER    SPEAKS   FIRST.      287 

responded.  "  '  You  have  that  in  your  countenance ' — 
in  your  character — '  which  I  would  fain  call  master'  ; 
and  I  am  mastered,  nor  can  I  be  shaken  from  my  al 
legiance.  I  can  at  least  imitate  Kent's  faithfulness, 
if  not  his  obtrusiveness,  in  the  service  of  his  king. 
You  have  already  claimed  me  as  a  friend,  and  so 
much  at  least  I  shall  ever  be.  Let  me  win  more  if  I 
can." 

She  became  very  quiet  now,  and  looked  steadily 
into  his  flushed,  eager  face  with  an  expression  of  sor 
rowful  regret  and  pain  that  would  have  restrained 
him  had  a  ten-fold  stronger  and  more  impetuous 
love  been  seeking  utterance,  and  by  a  gesture,  simple 
yet  eloquently  impressive,  she  put  her  finger  to  her 
lips.  Then  giving  him  her  hand  she  said,  with  strong 
emphasis  : 

"Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  would  value  such  z.  friend  as 
you  could  be  to  me  more  than  I  can  tell  you." 

"  I  shall  be  to  you  all  that  you  will  permit,"  he 
said,  gently  yet  firmly.  "As  you  now  appear  I 
could  as  soon  think  of  urging  my  clamorous  human 
love  on  a  sad-eyed  saint  that  had  suffered  some  cruel 
form  of  martyrdom  for  her  faith,  and  then,  as  the 
legends  teach,  had  been  sent  from  heaven  among  us 
mortals  upon  some  errand  of  mercy." 

"Your  words  are  truer  than  you  think,"  she  re 
plied,  the  pallor  deepening  in  her  face.  '*  I  have 
suffered  a  strange,  cruel  form  ofa  martyrdom.  But  I 
am  not  a  saint,  only  a  weak  woman.  I  would  value 
such  a  friend  as  you  could  be  exceedingly.  Indeed 
— indeed,"  she  continued  hesitatingly,  "  there  are 
peculiar  reasons  why  I  wish  we  might  meet  as  friends 


288  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

occasionally.  If  you  knew — if  you  knew  all — you 
would  not  ask  to  be  more.  Can  you  trust  one  who 
is  clouded  by  sadness  and  mystery  ?  " 

He  took  her  hand  in  both  of  his  and  answered, 
"  Jennie  Burton,  there  could  no  greater  misfortune 
befall  me  than  to  lose  my  faith1  in  you.  I  associate 
you  with  all  that  is  most  sacred  to  me.  Every  in 
stinct  of  my  heart  assures  me  that  although  the  mys 
tery  that  enshrouds  your  life  may  be  as  cold  as 
death,  it  is,  as  far  as  you  are  concerned,  as  white  as 
snow." 

"  Yes,  and  as  far  as  another  is  concerned  also,"  she 
said  solemnly.  "  Your  trust  is  generous,  and  I  am 
very,  very  grateful.  Perhaps — possibly  I  may — 
some  time — tell  you,  for  you  risked  your  life  for  me  ; 
and  —  and  —  there  is  another  reason.  But  I  have 
never  spoken  of  it  yet.  Good-night." 

"  Stay,"  he  said,  "  I  cannot  begin  being  a  true 
friend  to  you  by  being  a  false  friend  to  another. 
I  am  ashamed  that  I  have  been  so  preoccupied 
with  myself  that  I  have  not  spoken  of  it  before.  Mr. 
Stanton  resented  Sibley's  insulting  language  more 
promptly  than  I  did.  I  have  been  basely  accepting 
a  gratitude  that  rightly  belongs  to  him,  and  I  assure 
you  he  is  in  far  more  danger  from  Sibley  than  I 
am." 

Her  brow  contracted  in  a  sudden  frown,  and  there 
was  something  like  irritation  in  her  tones  as  she 
said: 

"  Danger  again  !  and  to  another,  for  my  sake  ! 
Must  I  be  tortured  with  fear  and  anxiety,  because 
a  low  fellow,  true  to  his  nature,  will  be  scurrilous  ? 


THE   DELIBERATE    WOOER  SPEAKS  FIRST.     289 

Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  continued,  with  a  sudden  flash 
of  her  eyes,  "  are  you  and  Mr.  Stanton  quarrelling 
with  Mr.  Sibley  on  your  own  account,  or  on  mine  ? 
From  henceforth  I  refuse  to  have  the  remotest  rela 
tion  to  such  a  quarrel.  No  remarks  of  a  man  like 
Sibley  can  insult  me,  and  hereafter  any  friend  of 
mine  who  lowers  himself  to  resent  them,  or  has  aught 
to  do  with  the  fellow,  will  both  wound  and  humiliate 
me." 

"After  such  words,  Miss  Burton,"  Van  Berg  an 
swered  with  a  smile,  "  rest  assured  I  shall  avoid  him 
as  I  would  a  pestilence.  But  remember,  I  have 
been  as  guilty  as  Stanton,  yes,  more  so  ;  for  Stan- 
ton  received  the  first  provocation,  and  he  is  natu 
rally  more  impetuous  than  I  am.  But  I  have  been 
thanked,  as  well  as  warned  and  justly  rebuked.  I 
think,"  he  added,  as  if  the  words  cost  him  an  effort, 
"  that  if  you  will  kindly  ask  Stanton  to  have  noth 
ing  more  to  do  with  Sibley,  he  will  accede  to  your 
wishes ;  and  whatever  he  promises,  he  will  per 
form." 

"  Is  your  friend,  then,  so  honorable  a  man  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"  He  is,  indeed,"  replied  Van  Berg,  earnestly,  while 
a  generous  flush  suffused  his  face,  "  a  true,  noble- 
hearted  fellow.  He  shows  his  worst  side  at  once, 
but  you  would  discover  new  and  good  traits  in  him 
every  day." 

She.  turned  away  with  a  low  laugh.     "  Since  you 

are  so  loyal  to  your  old  friend,"  she  said,  "  I  think 

you  will  prove  true  to  your   new   one.      I  shall  put 

Mr.  Stanton  to  the  test,  and  discover  whether  he  will 

13 


290  A    FACE   ILLUMINED. 

give  up  his  quarrel  with  Mr.  Sibley  for  the  sake  of 
such  poor  thanks  as  I  can  give.  Once  more,  good 
night." 

She  was  hastening  away,  when  he  seized  her 
hand  and  said  : 

"  Why  do  you  go  with  averted  face  ?  Have  I 
offended  you  ?  " 

She  trembled  violently.  "  Please  do  not  look  at 
me  so,"  she  said,  falteringly.  "  I  cannot  endure  it. 
Pity  my  weakness." 

His  hand  tightened  in  its  warm  grasp,  and  the  ex 
pression  of  his  face  grew  more  ardent. 

She  looked  up  with  a  sudden  flash  in  her  eyes,  and 
said,  almost  sternly  : 

u  You  must  not  look  at  me  in  that  way,  or  else 
even  friendship  will  be  impossible  and  we  must  be 
come  strangers.  Perhaps,  after  all,  this  will  be  the 
wisest  course  for  us  both,"  she  added,  in  a  gentler 
tone. 

He  dropped  her  hand,  but  said  firmly,  "  No,  Miss 
Jennie,  you  have  given  me  the  right  to  call  you  my 
friend,  and  I  have  seen  friendship  in  your  eyes,  and 
friends  at  least  we  shall  be  till  the  end  of  time.  I 
shall  not  say  good-night.  I  shall  not  let  you  go  away 
and  brood  by  yourself.  I  have  learned  that  cheering 
others  is  the  very  elixir  of  your  life  ;  so,  come  into 
the  parlor.  I  will. find  Stanton  and  our  friend  with 
the  soprano  voice,  and  the  guests  of  the  house  shall 
again  bless  the  stars  that  sent  you  to  us,  as  I  do 
daily." 

She  smiled  faintly  and  said  : 

"  I'll  join  you  there  after  a  little  while,"  and  she 


THE   DELIBERATE    WOOER  SPEAKS  FIRST.     291 

flitted  out  into  the  darkening  hall-way,  and  sought 
her  room  by  a  side  stair. 

A  few  moments  later  Stanton,  finding  that  the  object 
of  his  thoughts  did  not  appear  among  the  guests  who 
sought  to  escape  the  sultriness  of  the  evening  on  the 
wide  piazzas  or  in  the  large,  spacious  parlor,  began  to 
wander  restlessly  about  in  a  half-unconscious  search. 
A  servant  was  just  lighting  the  gas  in  the  small  and 
remote  reception-room  as  he  glanced  in.  The  apart 
ment  was  empty,  and  no  echoes  of  the  words  just 
spoken  were  lingering. 

A  little  later  Miss  Burton  came  down  the  main 
stair-way  in  her  breezy,  cheery  manner,  and  his  jeal 
ous  fears  were  quieted. 

He  joined  her  at  once,  saying  that  it  was  the  unani 
mous  wish  that  she  should  give  them  some  music 
again  that  evening. 

She  would  join  with  him  and  others,  she  said  ;  and 
her  manner  was  so  perfectly  frank  and  cordial,  so  like 
her  bearing  towards  a  lady  friend  to  whom  she  next 
spoke,  that  he  fairly  groaned  in  despair  of  touching 
a  heart  that  seemed  to  overflow  with  kindness  towards 
all. 

Van  Berg  soon  appeared,  but  Miss  Burton,  on  this 
occasion,  managed  that  the  singing  should  be  main 
tained  by  quite  a  large  group  about  the  piano,  and 
on  account  of  the  sultriness  of  the  evening  the  service 
of  song  was  brief. 

While  Van  Berg  was  leading  a  hymn  that  had  been 
asked  for  by  one  of  the  guests.  Miss  Burton  found  the 
opportunity  of  saying,  "  Mr.  Stanton,  I  wish  to 
thank  you  for  your  chivalric  defence  to-day  of  one 


292  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

who  is  poor  and  orphaned.  Mr.  Van  Berg  told  me 
of  your  generous  and  friendly  course.  Thus  far  I 
can  believe  that  your  conduct  has  been  inspired  by  the 
truest  and  most  manly  impulses.  But  if  in  any  way 
you  again  have  aught  to  do  with  Mr.  Siblcy,  I  shall 
feel  deeply  wounded  and  humiliated.  I  refuse  to  be 
associated  with  that  man,  even  in  the  remotest  de 
gree.  Your  delicate  sense  of  honor  will  teach  you 
that  if  any  further  trouble  grows  out  of  this  affair  no 
effort  on  your  part  can  separate  my  name  from  it. 
The  world  rarely  distinguishes  between  a  gentlemanly 
quarrel  and  a  vulgar  brawl,  especially  where  one  of 
the  parties  is  essentially  vulgar.  As  a  gentleman 
you  will  surely  shield  me  from  any  such  associations." 

Stanton,  remembering  his  appointment  with  Sibley, 
bowed  low  to  hide  his  confusion. 

"  I  would  gladly  shield  you  with  my  life  from  any 
thing  that  could  cause  you  pain,"  he  said,  earnestly. 

"  I  do  not  make  any  such  vast  and  tragic  demands," 
she  replied,  smilingly,  and  holding  out  her  hand  ; 
"  only  simple  and  prosaic  self-control,  when  tipsy,  vul 
gar  men  act  according  to  their  nature.  Good-night." 

He  was  about  to  kiss  her  hand,  when  she  gently 
withdrew  it,  remarking  : 

"  We  plain  people  of  New  England  are  not  de 
scended  from  the  Cavaliers,  remember." 

He  watched  until  in  despair  of  her  appearing  again 
that  evening,  and  then  strolled  out  into  the  night, 
feeling  in  his  despondency  that  no  star  in  the  summer 
sky  was  more  unattainable  than  the  poor  and  orphaned 
girl,  the  impress  of  whose  warm  clasp  still  seemed 
within  his  hand. 


AN  EMBLEM. 


293 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

AN   EMBLEM. 

FOR  some  time  Ida  Mayhew  neither  heeded  nor 
heard  the  choral  music  in  the  parlor  below,  but 
at  last  a  clearer,  louder  strain,  in  which  Van  Berg's 
voice  was  pre-eminent,  caught  her  attention  and  she 
started  up  and  listened  at  the  window. 

"  He  is  singing  songs  of  Heaven  with  Jennie  Bur 
ton,  and  I — can  there  be  any  worse  perdition  than 
this  ?  "  she  said  in  a  low,  agonized  tone. 

As  if  by  a  sudden  impulse  she  quietly  unfastened 
the  door  that  led  to  her  father  and  mother's  room. 
Perceiving  that  her  mother  was  not  there,  she  stole 
noiselessly  in,  and  turned  up  the  lamp. 

Mr.  Mayhew  reclined  upon  a  lounge  in  the  deep 
stupor  of  intoxication,  his  dark  hair  streaked  with 
gray  falling  across  his  face  in  a  manner  that  made  it 
peculiarly  ghastly  and  repulsive. 

"This  is  my  work,"  she  groaned.  "Jennie  Burton 
made  a  noble-looking  man  of  him  last  evening.  I 
have  made  him  this."  She  writhed  and  wrung  her 
hands  over  his  unconscious  form,  appearing  as  might 
one  of  Milton's  fallen  angels  that  had  lost  Heaven 
and  happiness  but  not  the  primal  beauty  of  his  birth 
place. 


294  A   F-4C&  ILLUMINED. 

1 '  Well,"  she  exclaimed  with  the  sudden  recklessness 
which  was  one  of  her  characteristics,  "  if  I  have 
caused  your  degradation  I  can  at  least  share  in  it ;  " 
and  she  took  an  opiate  that  she  knew  would  produce 
speedy  and  almost  as  deep  a  lethargy  as  that  which 
paralyzed  her  father  ;  then  threw  herself,  dressed, 
upon-her  couch,  and  did  not  waken  until  late  the  fol 
lowing  day. 

Stanton  was  sorely  troubled  over  his  rash  promise 
that  he  would  meet  Sibley  at  daylight  on  Monday 
morning.  After  Miss  Burton's  words  he  felt  that  he 
could  not  keep  his  appointment,  and  yet  he  shrank 
from  the  ridicule  he  believed  Sibley  would  heap  upon 
him.  His  perturbation  was  so  great  that  he  hunted 
up  Van  Berg  before  retiring,  and  told  him  his  dilemma. 
The  artist  greatly  relieved  his  mind  by  saying  : 

"  I  think  we  both  have  had  a  lesson,  Stanton,  in 
regard  to  quarrelling  with  such  fellows  as  Sibley, 
although  I  hardly  see  how  we  could  have  acted  dif 
ferently.  But  villains  are  usually  cowards  after  their 
passion  cools,  and  they  become  sober.  The  case  in 
hand  is  no  exception.  Burleigh  tells  me  he  has  just 
learned  that  Sibley  took  a  late  boat  to  the  city,  and 
so  does  not  mean  to  keep  the  appointment  to-morrow. 
Therefore,  sleep  the  sleep  of  the  just,  old  fellow. 
Good-night." 

The  throbbing  pain  in  Ida's  head  was  so  great 
when  she  awoke  on  Monday  that  she  half  forgot  the 
ache  in  her  heart.  She  found  that  her  father  had 
gone  to  the  City  and  that  the  day  was  well  advanced. 
Her  mother  sat  looking  at  her  with  an  expression  in 
which  anxiety  and  reproach  were  equally  blended. 


AN  EMBLEM. 


295 


The  unhappy  woman  had  learned  from  her  hus 
band's  habits  to  know  what  remedies  to  employ,  and 
so  was  able  gradually  to  relieve  her  daughter's  phy 
sical  distress  ;  but  Ida's  weary  lassitude  and  reticence 
were  proof  against  all  her  questions  and  reproaches. 
It  seemed  as  if  nothing  could  rouse  or  sting  her  out 
of  the  dull  apathy  into  which  she  had  reacted  after 
the  desperate  excitement  of  the  preceding  day.  She 
pleaded  illness,  and  stubbornly  refused  to  go  down  to 
dinner.  At  last  her  mother,  much  to  her  relief,  left 
her  to  herself,  and  went  out  to  drive  with  Stanton, 
hoping  that  she  might  hit  upon  some  plan  of  action 
in  regard  to  the  two  difficult  problems  presented  in 
her  husband  and  daughter. 

Towards  evening  Ida  slowly  and  languidly  dressed 
for  supper,  and  then  sauntered  down  to  the  main 
piazza  for  a  little  fresh  air. 

The  poor  girl  did  not  exaggerate  the  shadow  that 
had  fallen  upon  her  through  her  association  with 
Sibley,  and  her  supposed  grief  and  resentment  at  his 
treatment.  Two  or  three  whom  she  met  bowed 
coldly  and  distantly,  and  one  passed  without  recog 
nition.  Even  Jennie  Burton  had  been  indignant  all 
day  that  one  of  her  sex  could  be  infatuated  with  such 
a  fellow  ;  and  in  her  charitable  thoughts  she  would 
be  glad  to  explain  such  perversity  as  the  result  of 
a  disordered  and  uncurbed  fancy,  rather  than  of  a 
depraved  heart. 

It  was  not  strange,  however,  that  she  should  sup 
pose  Ida's  manner  and  indisposition  were  caused  by 
Sibley's  ignominious  ejectment  from  the  house,  when 
her  own  mother  and  cousin  shared  the  same  view. 


296  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

What  an  unknown  mystery  each  life  is,  even  to  the 
lives  nearest  to  it ! 

As  with  slow,  heavy  steps,  Ida  approached  the 
main  entrance,  she  noted  the  distant  manner  of  those 
she  met,  and  divined  the  cause  ;  but  her  apathy  was 
so  great  that  neither  anger  nor  shame  brought  the 
faintest  color  to  her  cheeks. 

She  stood  in  the  doorway  and  looked  out  a  few 
moments  ;  but  the  lovely  summer  landscape,  with  the 
cool  shadows  lengthening  across  it,  was  a  weariness, 
and  she  turned  from  it  as  the  miserable  do  from 
sights  that  only  mock  by  their  pleasant  contrast. 

The  piazza,  was  nearly  empty,  but  before  she  stepped 
out  upon  it  she  saw  not  far  away  a  gentleman  read 
ing,  who  at  last  did  cause  the  blood  to  rush  tumultu- 
ously  into  her  face. 

At  another  time  she  would  have  turned  hastily  from 
him  ;  but  in  her  present  morbid  mood  she  acted  from 
a  different  impulse.  The  artist  had  not  observed  her 
approach,  and  standing  a  little  back  in  the  shadow  of 
the  hall-way  she  found  a  cruel  fascination  in  compar 
ing  the  man  she  loved  with  the  low  fellow  whose 
shadow  now  fell  so  darkly  across  her  own  character. 
She  looked  steadily  at  his  downcast  face  until  every 
line  and  curve  in  his  strong  profile  was  impressed  on 
her  memory.  In  the  healthful  color  of  his  finely- 
chiselled  features  there  were  no  indications  of  that 
excess  which  already  marred  Sibley's  countenance. 
The  decided  contour  corresponded  with  the  positive 
nature.  The  unhappy  girl  felt  instinctively  that  if  he 
were  on  her  side,  he  would  be  a  faithful  ally ;  but  if 
against  her,  she  would  find  his  inflexible  will  a  granite 


AN  EMBLEM. 


297 


wall  against  ail  the  allurements  of  her  beauty.  The 
face  before  her  indicated  a  man  controlled  by  his 
higher,  not  lower  nature  ;  and  in  her  deep  humiliation 
she  now  felt  that  even  if  he  knew  all  that  was  passing 
in  her  heart,  he  would  bestow  only  a  little  transient 
pity,  mingled  with  contempt. 

She  believed  she  could  hope  for  nothing  from  him  ; 
and  yet,  did  not  that  belief  leave  her  hopeless  ?  To 
what  else,  to  whom  else  could  she  turn  ?  Nothing 
else,  no  one  else  then  seemed  to  promise  any  help, 
any  happiness.  Her  wretched  experience  had  come 
as  unexpectedly  as  one  of  those  mysterious  waves  that 
sweep  the  sunny  shore  of  Peru.  Whither  it  would 
carry  her  she  did  not  know,  but  every  moment  sepa 
rated  her  more  hopelessly  from  him  who  appeared 
like  an  immovable  rock  in  his  quiet  strength. 

She  was  turning  despondently  away  when  she 
heard  Jennie  Burton's  voice,  and  a  moment  later  that 
young  lady  mounted  the  adjacent  steps  and  said  to 
Van  Berg  : 

"  See  what  a  prize  I  captured  at  this  late  season. 
Roses  early  in  August  are  like  hidden  treasures.  See, 
they  are  genuine  hybrids.  Have  Inot  had  rare  good 
fortune  ?  " 

Van  Berg  rose  at  once,  and  met  her  at  the  top  of 
the  steps  ;  and  Ida,  who  still  remained  unseen  in  the 
hall,  now  stepped  forward  into  the  doorway,  so  that 
she  might  not  seem  a  furtive  listener,  as  he  was 
standing  with  his  back  towards  her. 

"  Had   I  my  way,  Miss  Burton,"  said  the   artist, 
"  you  should  have  this  rare  good  fortune  every  day 
of  the  year." 
13* 


298  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

She  blushed  slightly,  and  said,  rather  coldly, 
"  Good  evening,  Miss  Mayhew,"  thus  rendering  Van 
Berg  aware  of  the  latter's  presence.  The  artist  only 
frowned,  and  gave  no  other  recognition  of  Ida's 
proximity. 

11  Since  you  can't  have  your  way,  I  shall  make  the 
most  of  my  present  good  fortune.  Is  not  that  a 
beautiful  cluster  ?  " 

"  It  is  indeed,  with  one  exception.  Do  you  not 
see  that  this  defective  bud  mars  the  beauty  of  all  the 
others  ?  " 

"A  'worm  i'  the  bud  fed  on  its  damask  cheek.' 
I  took  it  out  and  killed  it,  and  was  in  hopes  that  if  I 
placed  the  injured  flower  in  water  with  the  others  it 
might  still  make  a  partial  bloom.  You  will  think 
me  absurd  when  I  tell  you  I  felt  sorry  for  it,  and 
thought  how  many  roses  and  lives  would  be  more 
perfect  were  it  not  for  some  gnawing  '  worm  i'  the 
bud."' 

"The  '  worm'  in  Shakespeare's  allusion,"  said  the 
artist,  lightly,  "is  redeemed  by  its  association  and 
symbolism  ;  but  the  one  that  has  been  at  work  here 
was  a  disagreeably  prosaic  thing  that  you  rightly  put 
your  foot  upon.  The  bud,  as  it  now  appears,  sug 
gests  the  worm  more  than  anything  else.  So,  please 
let  me  cut  it  out ;  for  art  cannot  tolerate  anything  so 
radically  marred  and  defective.  Its  worm-eaten 
heart  spoils  the  beauty  of  the  entire  cluster." 

"  I  fear  you  artists  become  too  critical  and  exact 
ing.  Well,  cut  it  out.  I  will  submit  to  art  in  roses, 
but  feel  that  marred  and  defective  lives  should  have 
very  different  treatment." 


AN  EMBLEM.  399 

"  That  depends.  If  people  persist  in  cherishing 
some  worm  of  evil,  they  cannot  expect  to  be  held  in 
the  same  esteem  as  those  who  are  aiming  at  a  more 
perfect  development.  There,  now  !  does  not  your 
cluster  appear  much  better  ?  " 

'  Yes  ;  and  yet  I  cannot  help  feeling  sorry  for  the 
poor  little  bud  that  has  missed  its  one  chance  to 
bloom,  and  all  will  wither  unless  I  hasten  to  my  room 
and  put  them  in  water." 

In  her  prejudice  against  Ida  she  had  not  looked 
towards  her  while  talking  with  Van  Berg,  but  in  pass 
ing,  a  hasty  glance  almost  caused  her  to  stay  and 
speak  to  her,  for  she  thought  she  saw  her  eyes  full 
of  unshed  tears.  But  her  glance  was  brief  and  her 
prejudice  strong.  Miss  Burton  had  not  a  little  of  the 
wholesome  feminine  intolerance  for  certain  weaknesses 
in  her  sex.  She  would  counsel  a  wife  to  endure  a  bad 
husband  with  a  meek  and  patient  spirit.  But  gentle 
as  she  was,  she  would  scorn  the  maiden  who  could 
be  attracted  by  a  corrupt  man,  and  almost  loathe  her 
for  indulging  such  an  affinity.  She  could  pity  Ida — 
she  could  pity  any  one  ;  but  the  poor  girl's  unfortu 
nate  association  with  Sibley,  and  her  seeming  interest 
in  him,  would  subordinate  pity  to  indignation  and 
contempt.  Her  thought  was  this  : 

"  Miss  May  hew  is  still  a  maiden  free  to  choose. 
Shame  on  her  that  she  chooses  so  ignobly  !  Shame 
on  her  that  she  turns  her  eyes  longingly  to  fetid 
pools,  instead  of  upward  to  the  breezy  hills.  What 
kind  of  a  nature  is  that  which  prompts  such  a 
choice  ?  " 

The   artist  was    more  capable    of  Jennie  Burton's 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

indignation  and  contempt  than  of  her  pity  ;  and  al 
though  he  knew  Ida  still  stood  in  the  doorway  he  did 
not  turn  to  speak  to  her.  His  very  attitude  seemed 
to  indicate  to  the  unhappy  girl  a  haughty  indiffer 
ence,  and  yet  she  was  so  unhappy,  so  in  need  of  a 
kind  word  or  reassuring  glance  that  she  could  not 
turn  away. 

"What  a  wretched  mystery  it  all  is,"  she  thought. 
"  I  ought  to  hate,  yet  I  love  him.  Proud  as  I  have 
thought  myself,  I  could  kneel  at  his  feet  for  one  such 
word  and  glance  as  he  just  gave  Miss  Burton.  For 
contempt  I  return  him  honor  and  admiration.  I  can 
not  help  myself.  By  some  strange  perversity  of  my 
heart,  I  have  become  his  very  slave.  How  can  he 
be  so  blind  !  He  thinks  me  pining  for  a  man  that  I 
despise  and  hate  more  than  he  ever  can,  though  the 
fellow  attempted  his  life.  Sibley  has  come  between 
me  and  that  which  is  more  than  life — my  chance  for 
happiness  and  right  living.  I  shall  become  desperate 
and  bad,  like  him,  if  this  continues.  How  strange  it 
is  that  some  sense,  some  instinct  does  not  tell  him 
there  that  the  girl  who  stands  so  near  is  lavishing 
every  treasure  of  her  soul  upon  him  ! 

"  That  poor  little  rose-bud  represents  me  to  his 
mind.  How  ruthlessly  he  is  pulling  open  its  heart ! 
Will  he  see  anything  else  there  save  the  work  of  the 
destroyer  ?  Can  it  not  awaken  a  thought  of  pity  ?  I 
will — I  must  speak  to  him." 

She  took  a  hesitating  step  or  two  towards  him. 
She  could  almost  hear  her  heart  beat.  Twice,  thrice, 
words  died  upon  her  lips.  When  was  she  ever  so 
timid  before  !  If  he  would  only  give  her  an  encourag- 


A.V  EMBLEM.  .    .        30 1 

ing  glance  !  If  he  would  only  turn  a  little  towards  her 
and  relax  that  haughty,  unbending  attitude 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said  at  last,  in  a  voice  that 
was  constrained  and  hard  from  her  effort  to  be  calm, 
"you  seem  very  vindictive  towards  that  poor  little 
flower." 

He  turned  partially  towards  her  and  coldly  said, 
"  Good  evening  Miss  Mayhew  ;  "  then,  after  a  second, 
added  carelessly  :  "I  admit  that  this  worm-eaten 
bud  is  rather  vexatious.  It  has — what  is  left  of  it — 
exquisite  color,  and  in  form  nature  had  designed  it  to 
be  perfect  ;  but  "  (with  a  slight  contemptuous  shrug) 
"you  see  what  it  is,"  and  he  tossed  it  down  into  the 
roadway.  \  f ., 

Her  face  was  very  pale  and  her  voice  low,  as  she 
answered:  "  And  so  you  condemn  it  to  be  trampled 
under  foot." 

"  I  condemn  it !  Not  at  all.  Its  own  imperfection 
condemns  it." 

"  The  result  is  all  the  same,"  she  replied,  with  sud 
den  change  of  manner.  "  It  is  tossed  contemptuously 
away  to  be  trodden  under  foot.  Dull  and  ignorant 
as  you  discovered  me  to  be,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  am  not 
so  stupid  but  that  I  can  understand  you  this  evening. 
Imperfect  as  I  am  I  could  pity  that  unfortunate  flower 
whose  fragrance  rose  to  you  like  a  low  appeal  for  a 
little  consideration,  at  least.  Would  it  not  have 
bloomed  as  perfectly  as  the  others  if  the  worm  had 
let  it  alone  ?  But,  I  suppose,  with  artists,  if  roses  or 
human  lives  are  imperfect,  that  is  the  end  of  them. 
Misfortune  counts  for  nothing." 

Van  Berg  listened  in  surprise  to  these  words,   and 


3O2  FACE   ILLUMINKD. 

his  haughty  complacency  was  decidedly  disturbed. 
He  was  about  to  reply  that  "  Evil  chosen  and  cher 
ished  was  not  a  misfortune  but  a  fault,"  when  she 
turned  from  him  with  more  than  her  former  coldness 
and  entered  the  house. 

An  impulse  that  he  would  have  found  difficult 
to  analyze  led  him  to  descend  the  steps  and  pick  up 
the  symbolic  bud,  now  torn  and  withering  fast,  and  to 
place  it  between  the  leaves  of  his  note-book. 

If  she  had  only  seen  this  act  it  would  have  made 
a  great  difference  ;  but,  ever  present  to  her  thought, 
it  lay  where  he  had  tossed  it,  the  emblem  of  herself. 


THE  DANGERS   OF  DESPAfR.  303 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE   DANGERS    OF   DESPAIR. 

DISCOURAGEMENT  and  despair  are  dangerous 
and  often  destructive  to  character ;  this  would 
be  especially  true  of  one  like  Ida  Mayhew,  for  even  in 
her  imperfection  she  possessed  a  simplicity  and  unity 
which  made  it  impossible  for  a  part  of  such  moral  na 
ture  as  she  possessed  to  stand,  if  another  part  were 
undermined  or  broken  down.  The  whole  fabric 
would  stand  or  fall  together. 

She  had  been  a  wayward  child,  more  neglected  than 
petted,  and  had  naturally  developed  a  passion  for 
having  her  own  will,  right  or  wrong.  As  she  grew 
older,  her  extraordinary  dower  of  beauty  threatened 
to  be  a  fatal  one.  It  brought  to  her  attention  contin 
uous  admiration  and  flattery  from  those  who  cared 
nothing  for  her  personally.  She  had  received  in  child 
hood  but  little  of  the  praise  which  love  prompts,  the 
tender,  indulgent  idolatry  which,  although  dangerous 
indeed  to  one's  best  development,  sometimes  softens 
and  humanizes,  instead  of  rendering  selfish  and  arro 
gant. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  petted  and  scolded  her  child  accord 
ing  to  her  mood,  but  was  quite  consistent  in  her  gen 
eral  neglect.  Mr.  Mayhew  was  a  tired,  busy  man, 


3Q4 


ILLUMINED. 


who  visited  at  his  own  home  rather  than  lived  there. 
Thus  the  growing  girl  was  left  chiefly  to  her  own  im 
pulses,  and  average  human  nature  ensured  that  the 
habit  of  thinking  of  herself  first  and  of  pleasing  herself 
at  all  times  should  be  early  formed.  Then,  as  she  saw 
and  became  capable  of  understanding  the  homage 
that  waits  on  mere  beauty,  the  world  over,  pride  and 
vanity  grew  in  overshadowing  rankness.  The  at 
tention  she  received,  however,  was  chiefly  made  up 
of  the  bold  stare  of  strangers,  and  the  open  flattery 
of  those  who  admired  her  beauty  as  they  would  that 
of  a  picture,  unconsciously  but  correctly  leaving  the 
impression  that  they  cared  for  her  only  because  of 
her  beauty.  That  the  girl's  nature  should  grow  hard 
and  callous  under  such  influences  was  what  might  have 
been  expected. 

Neglect  and  a  miserable  sham  of  an  education  had 
dwarfed  her  mind.  She  had  been  "  finished"  by  an 
ultra  fashionable  school  before  she  understood  the 
meaning  of  the  studies  which  she  passed  over  in  a 
dainty  quickstep,  scarcely  touching  the  surface. 

Her  heart  and  moral  nature  were  almost  equally 
undeveloped.  Hitherto  she  had  known  but  little  ex 
perience  tending  to  evoke  gentle  feeling  or  generous 
action.  She  had  confounded  the  few  genuine  admir 
ers,  who,  infatuated  with  her  beauty,  endowed  her 
with  all  heavenly  graces,  awaiting  only  the  awaken 
ing  hand  of  their  love,  with  the  heartless  or  brain 
less  fellows  who  were  not  particular  about  heavenly 
graces,  provided  a  girl  had  a  fine  figure  and  a  fair 
face. 

When  the  artist  first  met  her  at  the  concert  garden, 


THE  DANGERS   OF  DESPAIR.  305 

she  was  in  truth  a  modern  Undine.  She  had  feminine 
qualities  and  vices,  but  not  a  woman's  soul.  She 
was  not  capable  of  any  strong,  womanly  action  or 
feeling.  Her  scheme  of  life  was  simple  indeed,  al 
though  she  was  learning  to  be  very  artful  in  carrying 
it  out.  It  was  to  have  "  a  good  time,"  as  she  would 
phrase  it,  and  at  any  and  every  cost  to  others.  After 
wearying  of  the  life  of  a  belle,  she  proposed  to  marry 
the  best  establishment  that  came  in  her  way,  and  be 
come  a  leader  of  fashion. 

It  would  seem  that  not  a  few  fine  ladies  carry  out 
this  simple  scheme  of  life,  and  never  receive  a 
woman's  soul.  There  are  Undines  at  sixty  as  well  as 
at  sixteen. 

The  artist  had  been  attracted  by  her  beauty,  like 
so  many  others,  but  unlike  others  he  had  not  (as  was 
the  case  with  not  a  few  sensible  men)  given  an  admir 
ing  glance  at  the  face,  and  then,  recognizing  the  fact 
that  there  was  not  a  woman  back  of  it,  passed  on  in 
differently  ;  nor  had  he  bestowed  upon  her  imaginary 
virtues  ;  and  much  less  had  he  been  satisfied  with 
mere  flesh  and  blood. 

His  manner  had  been  exploring,  questioning.  He 
was  looking  for  her  woman's  soul,  even  though  he 
might  find  it  unawakened,  like  the  fabled  beauty  in 
the  mythical  castle. 

His  keen  eyes  had  disturbed  her  equanimity  from 
the  first.  As  he  pursued  his  quest,  her  undefined 
fears  and  misgivings  increased.  At  last  she  was 
compelled  to  follow  his  questioning  glances,  and 
look  past  outward  beauty  to  her  real  self  within. 
From  that  hour  the  rank  and  evil  weeds  of  pride  and 


306  4  FACE  fLLUMIXED.  . 

vanity  began  to  wither.  Honest  self-scrutiny  was 
like  a  knife  at  their  roots. 

But  these  traits  give  a  transient  support  like  a 
false  stimulant.  As  they  failed  there  was  nothing  to 
take  their  place — no  faith  in  God,  no  self-respect  or 
self-reliance.  She  could  not  turn  to  her  own  family  for 
sustaining  sympathy,  such  as  many  find  in  their 
homes,  and  which  is  all  the  more  grateful  because 
not  inquisitive  nor  expressed  in  formal  terms.  In 
her  selfish  pleasure-seeking  life  she  found  that  she  had 
made  an  endless  number  of  acquaintances,  but  no 
friends.  She  had  not  even  the  resource  of  a  cultivat 
ed  mind  that  could  exist  upon  its  own  stores  through 
this  sudden  famine  which  had  impoverished  her 
world,  nor  could  she  think  of  a  single  innocent,  at 
tractive  pursuit  by  which  she  could  fill  the  weary 
days.  She  was  like  a  child  that  had  dwelt  in  a  trop 
ical  oasis,  the  flowers  and  fruits  of  which  had  seemed 
as  limitless  as  its  extent.  She  had  supposed  that  the 
whole  world  would  be  like  this  oasis,  and  the  only 
necessity  ever  imposed  on  her  would  be  that  of  choice 
from  its  rich  profusion.  But  ere  she  was  aware  she 
had  lost  herself  in  a  desert ;  the  oasis  had  vanished 
like  a  mirage,  and  she  had  no  choice  at  all.  That 
which  her  heart  craved  with  an  intensity  which  fairly 
made  it  ache,  seemed  as  hopeless  as  a  sudden  bloom 
and  fruitage  from  arid  sands. 

Instead  of  going  down  to  supper  she  returned  to 
the  solitude  of  her  own  room,  but  the  apathy  of  the 
earlier  part  of  the  day  had  vanished  utterly.  Indeed, 
body  and  soul  seemed  to  quiver  with  pain  like  a 
wounded  nerve.  Anger,  which  had  given  a  brief  sup- 


1 rHE   DANGERS    OF  DESPAIR.  307 

port,  faded  out,  and  left  only  shame  and  despair  as 
in  memory  she  saw  the  emblem,  representing  herself, 
tossed  contemptuously  into  the  carriage-way  by  the 
man  she  loved. 

"I  remember  reading,"  she  groaned,  "when  at 
school,  how  conquerors  put  their  feet  on  the  necks  of 
their  captives.  He  has  put  his  spurning  foot  on  my 
heart.  Oh,  hateful  riddle  !  Why  should  I  love  the  man 
that  despises  me  ?  " 

Her  mother,  and  then  Stanton,  called  at  her  door 
and  asked  her  to  come  down  to  supper. 

"  No,"  she  said,  briefly  to  each. 

"  If  you  knew  what  people  were  saying  and  sur 
mising  you  would  not  continue  to  make  a  spectacle 
of  yourself,"  said  her  cousin,  through  the  closed  door. 

"  That  is  one  reason  why  I  do  not  come  down," 
she  replied.  "  I'm  not  in  the  mood  to  make  a  spec 
tacle  of  myself.  I  have  been  shown  how  one  perfect 
member  of  society  regards  me,  and  I  am  not  equal  to 
meeting  any  more  faultless  people  to-night." 

"  Oh,  nonsense  !  "  cried  Stanton,  irritably.  "  You 
must  come  down." 

"Break  in  the  door  then,  and  carry  me  down," 
was  the  sharp  reply. 

With  a  muttered  oath  he  descended  to  the  supper- 
room,  and  his  moody  and  absent  manner  revealed  to 
Mrs.  Mayhew  and  Van  Berg  that  his  interview  with 
his  cousin  had  been  anything  but  satisfactory. 

For  a  time  the  artist  seemed  rather  distrait  also, 
as  if  a  memory  were  troubling  him.  He  often  looked 
around  when  any  one  entered,  and  his  eyes  at  times 
rested  on  Ida's  vacant  chair.  But  he  soon  passed 


308  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

under  the  spell  of  Jennie  Burton's  genial  talk,  which 
seemingly  glowed  with  the  sunshine  that  had  envel 
oped  her  during  her  quest  of  the  roses,  and  the  poor 
girl,  who  was  fairly  quivering  with  pain  because  of 
his  significant  act  and  words  on  the  piazza,  was  for 
gotten. 

She  knew  she  was  forgotten.  The  hum  of  voices, 
the  cheerful  clatter  from  the  lighted  supper-room, 
came  up  to  her  darkening  apartment,  and  only  in 
creased  her  sense  of  loneliness  and  isolation.  Her 
quick  ear  caught  Van  Berg's  mellow  laugh,  evoked 
by  one  of  Miss  Burton's  sallies. 

It  is  a  dreary  sensation  to  find  one's  self  wholly  for 
gotten  by  mere  acquaintances ;  but  to  find  that  we 
have  noplace  in  the  thoughts  of  those  we  love,  seems 
in  a  certain  sense  like  being  annihilated.  But  for 
poor  Ida  was  reserved  a  deeper  suffering  still,  since 
she  believed  that  the  man  she  loved  did  not  dismiss 
her  from  his  mind  indifferently,  but  rather  with  aver 
sion  and  disgust. 

She  felt  her  isolation  terribly.  To  whom  could  she 
turn  in  her  trouble  ?  The  thought  of  her  father  was 
both  a  reproach  and  a  humiliation.  He  was  drifting 
hopelessly,  and  almost  unresistingly,  towards  final 
wreck,  and,  so  far  from  seeking  to  restrain,  she  had 
added  to  the  evil  impetus.  She  shrank  from  the  very 
idea  of  confiding  in  her  garrulous,  superficial  mother. 
She  felt  that  her  cousin  detested  as  well  as  despised 
her.  The  flattered  girl,  who  a  little  before  thought 
the  world  was  at  her  feet,  now  felt  friendless  and 
alone,  scarcely  tolerated  by  her  own  family,  and 
scorned  by  others. 


THE  DANGERS   OF  DESPAIR.  309 

Of  course  she  exaggerated  the  evil  of  her  lot.  The 
young  and  inexperienced  are  ever  prone  to  look,  for 
the  time,  on  the  earlier  misfortunes  of  their  lives  as 
irretrievable.  In  after  years  they  may  smile  at  their 
causeless  despair ;  but  the  world  is  full  of  tragedies 
that  to  the  wise  and  sober-minded  had  slight  cause. 

Ida's  troubles,  however,  were  scarcely  slight,  and 
she,  above  all  others,  was  the  least  fitted  to  bear 
trouble  and  thwarting.  To  be  refused  anything 
would  be  a  new  and  disagreeable  experience,  but  to 
be  denied  that  which  her  heart  craved  supremely, 
tended  to- call  out  all  the  passionate  recklessness  of 
her  ungoverned,  undisciplined  nature.  The  child 
from  whom  something  is  taken,  will  often  cast  away 
in  anger  all  that  is  offered  in  its  place  ;  and  in  like 
hasty  folly  many  a  man  and  woman,  to  their  eter 
nal  regret,  have  thrown  away  life  itself.  Suicide  is 
often  the  product  of  passion  as  well  as  of  despair  ; 
the  irritable,  headlong  protest  against  evils  that 
might  have  been  and  should  have  been  remedied. 

As  Ida  sat  alone  in  her  desolation  and  shame,  the 
thought  of  self-destruction  had  surged  up  in  the  lava 
of  other  tumultuous  thoughts  occasioned  by  the  ar 
tist's  scorn,  and  at  first  she  had  shrunk  from  it  with 
natural  and  instinctive  dread.  But  the  awful  thought 
began  to  fascinate  her  like  a  dizzy  height  from  which 
it  seems  so  easy  to  fall  and  end  everything. 

In  her  morbid  condition  and  to  her  poisoned  imag 
ination  the  act  did  not  appear  so  revolting  after  all. 
She  had  been  made  familiar  with  it  in  her  favorite 
novels.  She  had  often  seen  it  simulated  with  ap 
plause  on  the  stage,  with  all  the  melodramatic  acces- 


310  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

series  with  which  it  is  sought  to  produce  mere  effect. 
Indeed,  from  her  education,  she  might  almost  think 
self-destruction  was  the  only  dignified  and  high- 
spirited  thing  to  do. 

For  .a  time  her  thoughts  took  the  coloring  of  high 
tragedy.  She  would  teach  this  proud  artist  a  lesson, 
even  though  at  supreme  cost  to  herself.  If  he  would 
never  love  her,  she  would  make  it  certain  that  he 
could  no  longer  despise  her.  She  would  write  him  a 
letter  that  would  harrow  his  very  soul,  informing  him 
that  she  had  taken  his  hint  and  followed  his  sugges 
tion.  Since  he  had  thrown  away  the  emblem  of  her 
self  as  a  worthless  and  unsightly  thing,  she  had 
thrown  herself  away,  so  that  faultless  taste  and  faultless 
people  might  be  no  more  offended  by  the  presence  of 
so  much  imperfection. 

For  a  moment  her  eyes  glowed  with  exultation 
over  his  imagined  dismay  as  he  read  this  message 
from  one  to  whom  no  reparation  could  be  made  ;  and 
then  better  and  more  wholesome  feelings  resumed 
their  sway.  Perverted,  misguided,  and  uncounselled 
as  she  was,  she  was  too  young,  too 'near  the  mother 
heart  of  nature,  not  to  react  from  the  false  and  the 
evil  towards  the  simple  and  the  true. 

She  threw  herself  upon  her  couch.  "  Oh,  that  I 
might  live  and  be  happy  !  "  she  sobbed.  "  If  in  the 
place  of  the  bitter  frost  of  his  words  and  manner  he 
would  give  me  but  one  ray  of  kindness,  I  would  try 
to  bloom,  even  though  but  a  poor  worm-eaten  bud." 

Frowns  blight  far  more  flowers  than  October 
nights. 


"HOPE   DIES  tfAKD." 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

"HOPE    DIES     HARD." 

\  ~\  .THEN  alone  with  his  friend  after  supper,  Stan- 
V  V  ton  broke  out,  "  Since  Ida  can't  exist  without 
the  sight  of  that  wretch,  Sibley,  I  wish  she  would 
follow  him  to  New  York.  If  she  dotes  on  such  scum, 
they  had  better  be  married,  as  far  as  such  people  can 
be,  and  so  relieve  her  relatives  of  an  incubus  that  is 
well-nigh  intolerable." 

"  Are  you  absolutely  sure  that  she  does  dote  on 
Sibley,  and  that  he  is  the  cause  of  her  evident 
trouble?  "  asked  Van  Berg,  with  a  perplexed  frown 
lowering  on  his  brow. 

"  I'm  not  sure  of  anything  concerning  her  save  that 
she  was  born  to  make  trouble.  I  know  she  was  with 
him  all  the  time  he  was  here,  and  since  he  was  meta 
phorically  kicked  off  the  premises  she  has  sulked  in 
her  room.  I  suppose,  of  course,  that  she  is  mortified, 
and  hates  to  meet  people.  Indeed,  from  a  remark 
she  made,  some  one  must  have  snubbed  her  vigor 
ously  to-day  ;  but  her  course  makes  everything  a 
hundredfold  worse.  I  am  besmirched  because  of  my 
relationship.  I  can  see  this  in  the  bearing  of  more 
than  one,  and  even  Miss  Burton,  who  could  not  be 
consciously  unkind  to  any  one,  keeps  me  at  a  distance 


312  A  FACE 

by  barriers,  which,  although  seemingly  viewless,  are 
so  real  I  cannot  pass  them." 

Van  Berg  surmised  that  the  evasive  tact  which 
Miss  Burton  exercised  towards  his  friend  was  not 
caused  by  his  relationship  to  Ida,  and  yet  was  com 
pelled  to  admit  that  her  frank  and  friendly  bearing 
towards  himself  was  scarcely  less  dispiriting.  Her* 
manner,  as  a  rule,  was  so  plainly  that  of  a  friend  only, 
that  were  it  not  for  occasional  and  furtive  glances 
which  he  intercepted,  he  would  deem  his  prospects 
little  better  than  Stanton's,  in  spite  of  all  that  had 
passed  between  them.  Even  in  these  stolen,  ques 
tioning,  longing  glances,  there  was  an  element  that 
troubled  and  perplexed  him,  and  the  strange  thought 
crossed  his  mind  that  when  she  looked  most  intently 
she  did  not  see  Harold  Van  Berg,  but  an  intervening 
vision.  Her  mystery,  however,  rendered  her  only 
the  more  attractive,  and  she  seemed  like  a  good  angel 
that  had  come  from  an  unknown  world  concerning 
which  she  could  not  speak,  and  perhaps  he  could  not 
understand. 

Her  society  was  like  a  delicate  wine,  delightfully 
exhilarating  while  enjoyed,  but  whose  effect  is  tran 
sient.  He  was  provoked  at  himself  to  find  how  well 
he  endured  her  absence,  and  how  content  he  was 
with  the  genuine  friendship  she  was  evidently  forming 
for  him.  Sometimes  he  even  longed  for  more  of  the 
absorbing  passion  which  he  saw  had  wholly  mastered 
Stanton  ;  but  tried  to  satisfy  himself  by  reasoning 
that  his  love  was  in  accordance  with  his  nature,  which 
was  calm  and  constant,  rather  than  impulsive  and 
passionate. 


"HOPE   DIES  HARD." 

"  All  the  higher  faculties  of  my  soul  are  her  allies," 
he  thought,  complacently.  "  I  admire,  honor,  and 
even  reverence  her.  She  could  walk  through  life  as 
my  companion,  my  equal,  and  in  many  respects,  my 
superior  ;  "  and  so  with  all  the  delicate  and  unobtru 
sive  tact  of  which  he  was  the  master  he  proposed  to 
press  his  suit. 

Since  Jennie  Burton  had  plainly  intimated  that, 
like  King  Lear,  she  had  lost  her  woman's  kingdom — 
her  heart — and  so  was  not  able  to  reward  such  suit 
and  service,  how  came  it  she  kept  poor  Stanton  at  a 
distance,  but  welcomed  the  society  of  Van  Berg  ? 
Possibly  her  intuition  recognized  the  fact  that  in  the 
case  of  Stanton  she  had  touched  the  heart,  but  had 
won  the  mind  only  of  the  artist.  The  first  seemed 
disposed  to  give  all  and  to  demand  all.  Stanton's  all 
did  not  count  for  very  much  thus  far  in  her  estima 
tion.  She  had  recognized  the  character  he  had 
brought  to  the  Lake  House — that  of  a  pleasure-loving 
man  of  the  world — and  she  was  far  too  modest  to 
suppose  that  she  could  work  any  material  change  in 
this  character.  Self-indulgent  by  nature,  she  believed 
that  he  had  proposed  to  enjoy  a  summer  flirtation 
with  one  whom  he  would  easily  forget  in  the  autumn, 
and,  while  this  impression  lasted,  she  punished  him 
by  requiring  that  he  should  be  the  chivalric  attend 
ant  of  every  forlorn  female  in  the  house.  When  she 
believed,  however,  that  such  heart  as  he  possessed 
was  truly  interested,  she  became  as  unapproachable 
as  the  afternoon  horizon,  whose  rich  glow  is  seeming 
ly  near,  but  can  never  be  reached.  While  she  rec 
ognized  the  genuineness  of  his  passion,  she  did  not, 
14 


A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

as  before  intimated,  regard  it  as  a  very  serious  af 
fair. 

"  Good  dinners  and  fairer  faces  than  mine  will  com 
fort  him  before  Christmas,"  she  thought. 

Few  know  themselves — their  own  capabilities  of 
joy,  suffering,  or  achievement.  As  with  Ida,  Stanton 
was  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  changes  in  his  own 
character.  It  was  quite  possible,  therefore,  that  Miss 
Burton  should  misunderstand  him.  Indeed  he  had, 
as  yet,  but  little  place  in  her  sad  and  preoccupied 
thoughts. 

For  some  reason,  however,  Van  Berg's  society  had 
for  her  a  peculiar  fascination  that  she  could  not  resist. 
She  scarcely  knew  whether  she  derived  from  it  more 
of  pleasure  than  of  pain.  She  often  asked  herself  this 
question  : 

"  Which  were  better  for  a  traveller  in  the  desert — 
to  see  a  mirage,  or  the  sands  only  in  all  their  barren 
reality  ?  " 

Her  judgment  said,  the  latter  ;  but  when  the  elu 
sive  mirage  appeared,  she  looked  often  with  a  long 
ing  wistfulness  that  might  well  suggest  a  pilgrim  that 
was  athirst  and  famishing. 

In  spite  of  her  quickness,  Van  Berg  occasionally 
caught  something  of  this  expression,  and  while  he 
drew  encouragement  from  it,  he  was  too  free  from 
vanity  and  too  acute  an  observer  to  conclude  that  all 
would  result  as  he  hoped.  The  unwelcome  thought 
would  come  that  he  was  only  the  occasion  and  not 
the  cause,  of  these  furtive  glances.  Was  her  heart  al 
ready  wedded  to  a  memory,  and  was  she  interested 
in  him  chiefly  because  for  some  reason  he  gave 


"HOPE  DIES  HARD,"  3x5 

vividness  and  reality  to  that  memory  ?  If  this  were 
true,  what  more  had  he  to  hope  for  than  Stanton  ? 
If  this  were  true,  was  he  not  in  a  certain  sense  pur 
suing  a  shadow  ?  Would  success  be  success  ?  Would 
he  wish  to  clasp,  as  his  wife,  a  woman  whose  heart  had 
been  buried  in  a  sepulchre  from  which  the  stone  might 
never  be  rolled  away  ? 

His  first  impression,  that  Miss  Burton  had  passed 
through  some  experience,  some  ordeal  of  suffering 
that  separated  her  from  ordinary  humanity,  often  re 
asserted  itself  more  strongly  than  ever.  At  times  her 
flame-like  spirit  would  flash  up  with  a  glow  and  bril 
liancy  that  lighted  and  warmed  his  very  soul,  but  the 
feeling  began  to  grow  upon  him  that  this  genial  fire 
consumed  the  costliest  of  all  offerings — self.  Did  not 
her  own  broken  heart  and  shattered  hopes  supply  the 
fuel  ?  Instead  of  brooding  apart  over  some  misfortune 
that  would  have  crushed  most  natures,  was  she  not 
seeking  to  make  her  life  an  altar  on  which  she  laid  as  a 
gift  to  others  the  best  treasures  of  her  woman's  soul  ? 

The  more  closely  he  studied  her  character,  and  the 
controlling  impulses  of  her  life,  the  more  sincere  be 
came  his  admiration,  and  the  deeper  his  reverence. 
He  felt  with  truth  that  she  was  of  different  and  finer 
clay  from  himself. 

So  strong  was  this  impression,  that  the  thought  oc 
curred  to  him  that  in  this  and  kindred  reasons 
might  be  found  the  explanation  of  the  peculiar  regard 
he  felt  for  her.  '  He  had  virtually  offered  himself,  and 
would  again  if  he  could  find  the  opportunity.  If  he 
were  sure  that  he  would  win  her,  he  would  exult  as 
one  might  who  had  secured  the  revenue  of  a  kingdom, 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

the  purest  and  largest  gem  in  the  world,  or  some 
other  possession  that  was  unique  and  priceless.  The 
whole  of  his  strong  intellectual  nature  would  be  jubi 
lant  over  the  great  success  of  his  life.  He  was  also 
conscious  that  some  of  the  deepest  feelings  of  his  soul 
were  interested.  She  was  becoming  like  a  religion 
to  him,  and  he  imagined  that  his  regard  for  her  was 
somewhat  akin  to  that  of  a  devout  Catholic  for  a  pat 
ron  saint. 

And  yet  he  was  compelled  to  admit  to  himself  that 
he  did  not  love  her  as  he  had  supposed  he  would  love 
the  woman  he  hoped  to  make  his  wife.  Why  was 
his  heart  so  tranquil  and  his  pulse  so  steady  ?  Cer 
tainly  not  because  of  assured  success.  Why  did  his 
regard  differ  so  radically  from  Stanton's  consuming 
passion  ?  Should  Stanton  win  her  he  felt  that  he 
could  still  seek  her  society  and  enjoy  her  friendship. 
The  prospect  of  never  winning  her  himself  did  not 
rob  life  of  its  zest  and  color.  On  the  contrary,  he  be 
lieved  that  she  would  ever  be  an  inspiration,  an  exqui 
site  ideal  realized  in  actual  life.  As  such  he  could  not 
lose  her  any  more  than  those  women  whom  poetry, 
fiction,  and  history  had  placed  as  stars  in  his  firma 
ment,  and  this  belief  so  contented  him  as  to  awaken 
surprise. 

As  he  returned  from  a  long  and  solitary  stroll  on 
Monday  evening  he  soliloquized  complacently,  "  I  am 
making  too  great  a  mystery  of  it  all.  She  is  not  an 
ordinary  woman.  Why  should  I  feel  towards  her  the 
ordinary  and  conventional  love  which  any  woman 
might  evoke  ?  There  is  more  of  spirit  than  of  flesh 
and  blood  in  her  exquisite  organization  ;  sorrow  has 


HOPE   DIES  HARD." 


317 


refined  away  every  gross  and  selfish  element,  and  left 
a  saint  towards  whom  devotion  is  far  more  seemly  and 
natural  than  passion.  She  awakens  in  me  a  regard 
corresponding  to  her  own  nature,  and  I  thank  heaven 
that  I  am  at  least  finely  enough  organized  to  under 
stand  her  and  so  can  seek  to  win  her  in  accordance 
with  the  subtle  laws  of  her  being  She  would  shrink 
inevitably  from  a  downright,  headlong  passion  like 
that  of  Stanton's,  no  matter  how  honest  it  might  be 
or  how  good  the  man  expressing  it.  No  hand,  however 
strong,  will  ever  grasp  this  rara  avis,  this  good  angel, 
rather.  Her  wings  must  be  pinioned  by  gossamer 
threads  of  patient  kindness,  delicate  sympathy,  nice 
appreciation,  and  all  woven  and  wound  so  unobtru 
sively  that  the  shy  spirit  may  not  be  startled.  What 
a  fool  I  was  to  blurt  out  my  feelings  last  evening  ! 
What  rare  good  fortune  is  mine  in  the  fact  that  she 
gives  me  the  vantage-ground  of  friendship  from  which 
to  urge  a  suit  wherein  must  be  combined  sincerity 
with  consummate  skill.  I  fear  I  must  efface  some 
other  image  before  I  can  implant  my  own.  How  for 
tunate  I  am  that  my  cool  and  well-poised  nature  will 
enable  me  to  work  under  the  guidance  of  judgment 
rather  than  impulse." 

Feeling  that  he  had  much  to  gain  and  was  in  no 
danger  of  irretrievable  loss,  he  lightly  mounted  the 
steps  of  the  hotel,  bent  on  finding  at  once  the  object 
of  his  thoughts. 

He  saw  her  leaving  a  group  in  the  parlor,  of  which 
Stanton  was  one,  and  he  hastened  to  intercept  her  in 
the  hall-way.  Just  as  he  was  about  to  speak  to  her, 
Mr.  Burleigh  came  bustling  up  and  said: 


318  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

t(  Miss  Burton,  a  stranger — not  to  fame  or  fortune, 
nor  to  you  probably,  but  a  stranger  to  me — is  in 
quiring  for  you — a  stranger  from  the  South.  He 

would  not  give  his  name,  and good  heavens,  Miss 

Burton  !  are  you  ill  ?  " 

Van  Berg  led  her  into  a  private  parlor  near.  She 
certainly  had  grown  very  white  and  faint.  But  after 
a  moment  there  came  a  flash  of  hope  and  eager  ex 
pectation  into  her  face  that  no  words  could  have  ex 
pressed. 

"  His  name — his  name  ?  "  she  gasped. 

Mr.  Burleigh  looked  at  her  a  second,  and  then 
said:  "  Stay  quietly  here,  I'll  bring  him  to  you  ;  and 
then,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  perhaps  you  and  I  might  form 
an  enormous  crowd." 

"  Had  I  not  better  leave  you  at  once  ?  "  the  artist 
asked  when  they  were  alone. 

"  Wait  a  moment.  I — I — am  very  weak.  It  can 
not  be — but  hope  dies  hard." 

Trembling,  like  a  leaf,  and  with  eyes  aflame  with  in 
tense,  eager  hope,  she  watched  the  door. 

A  moment  later  Mr.  Burleigh  ushered  in  a  middle- 
aged  gentleman,  who  commenced  saying  : 

"  Pardon  me,  Miss  Burton,  for  not  sending  my 
name,  but  you  would  not  have  known  it" — then  the 
young  lady's  appearance  checked  him. 

The  effect  of  his  coming  was  indeed  striking.  It 
was  as  if  a  gast  of  wind  had  suddenly  extinguished  a 
lamp.  The  luminous  eyes  closed  for  a  moment,  and 
the  face  became  so  pallid  and  ashen  in  its  hue  as  to 
suggest  death.  It  was  evident  to  Van  Berg  that  her 
disappointment  was  more  bitter  than  death. 


"HOP/-:   DIES  HARD." 

"  Miss  Burton  took  a  long  walk  this  afternoon,"  he 
said,  hastily,  "  and,  I  fear,  went  much  beyond  her 
strength.  Perhaps  she  had  better  see  you  to-mor 
row." 

"  Oh,  certainly,  certainly;  I  will  remain,  if  there  is 
need,"  the  gentleman  began. 

By  a  strong  and  evident  effort  Miss  Burton  regained 
self-control,  and  said,  with  a  faint  smile  that  played 
over  her  face  a  moment  like  a  gleam  of  wintry  sun 
shine  : 

"  You  strong  men  often  call  women  weak,  and  we, 
too  often,  prove  you  right.  As  Mr.  Van  Berg  sug 
gests,  I  am  a  little  overtaxed  to-night.  Perhaps  I 
had  better  see  you  in  the  morning." 

"  I  am  a  transient  guest,  and  ought  to  be  on  my 
way  with  the  first  train,"  said  the  gentleman.  "  My 
errand  is  as  brief  as  it  is  grateful  to  me.  Do  not 
leave,  sir,"  he  said  to  Van  Berg.  "  If  you  are  a  friend 
of  Miss  Burton  it  will  be  pleasant  for  you  to  hear 
what  I  have  to  say  ;  and,  I  warrant  you  that  she  will 
never  tell  you  nor  any  one  else  herself." 

"  May  I  stay  ?  "  he  asked. 

She  felt  so  weak  and  unnerved,  so  in  need  of  a  sus 
taining  hand  and  mind  that  she  looked  at  him  appeal- 
ingly,  and  said  : 

"  Yes.  This  gentleman  cannot  disgrace  me  more 
than  I  have  myself  this  evening." 

"  Disgrace  you  !  Miss  Burton,"  exclaimed  the  gen 
tleman.  "Your  name  is  a  household  word  in  our 
home,  and  our  honor  for  it  is  only  excelled  by  our 
love.  You  remember  my  invalid  daughter,  Emily 
Musgrave — our  only  and  unfortunate  child.  She  at- 


320 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


tended  the  college  in  which  you  are  an  instructress. 
Before  she  came  under  your  influence  her  infirmities 
were  crushing  her  spirit  and  embittering  her  life.  So 
morbid  was  she  becoming  that  she  apparently  began 
to  hate  her  mother  and  myself  as  the  authors  of  her 
wretched  existence.  But  by  some  divine  magic  you 
sweetened  the  bitter  waters  of  her  life,  and  now  she 
is  a  fountain  of  joy  in  our  home.  In  her  behalf  and 
her  mother's,  I  thank  you  ;  and  even  more,  if  possi 
ble,  in  my  own  behalf,  for  the  reproachful,  averted 
face  of  my  child  was  killing  me  ;  "  and  tears  stood  in 
the  strong  man's  eyes. 

There  was  nothing  conventional  in  the  way  in  which 
Jennie  Burton  received  his  warm  gratitude.  She 
leaned  wearily  back  in  her  chair,  and  for  a  moment 
closed  her  eyes.  There  was  far  more  of  resignation 
than  of  pleasure  in  her  face,  and  she  had  the  air  of 
one  submitting  to  a  fate  which  one  could  not  and 
ought  not  to  resist. 

"  Your  three  lives  are  much  happier  then  ?  "  she 
said,  gently,  as  if  wishing  to  hear  the  reassuring 
truth  again. 

"  You  do  not  realize  your  service  to  us,"  said  Mr. 
Musgrave,  eagerly.  "  Our  lives  were  not  happy  at  all. 
There  seemed  nothing  before  us  but  increasing  pain. 
You  have  not  merely  added  to  a  happiness  already 
existing,  but  have  caused  us  to  exchange  positive  suf 
fering  for  happiness.  Emily  seems  to  have  learned 
the  art  of  making  every  day  of  our  lives  a  blessing, 
and  she  says  you  taught  her  how.  I  would  go 
around  the  world  to  say  to  you,  '  God  bless  you  for 
it!'" 


HOPE   DIES  HARD." 


321 


"Such  assurances  ought  to  make  one  resigned,  if 
not  content,"  she  murmured  in  a  low  tone,  as  if  half 
speaking  to  herself.  Then  rising,  by  an  evident  effort, 
she  cordially  gave  her  hand  to  Mr.  Musgrave,  and 
said  : 

'*  You  see,  sir,  that  I  am  scarcely  myself  to-night. 
I  think  I  could  give  you  a  better  impression  of  your 
daughter's  friend  to-morrow.  Give  her  my  sincere 
love  and  congratulations.  She  is  evidently  bearing 
her  burden  better  than  I  mine.  You  cannot  know 
how  much  good  your  words  have  done  me  to-night. 
I  needed  them,  and  they  will  help  me  for  years  to 
come." 

The  gentleman's  eyes  grew  moist  again,  and  he 
said,  huskily : 

"  I  know  you  are  rather  alone  in  the  world,  but  if  it 
should  ever  happen  that  there  is  anything  that  I  could 
do  for  you  were  I  your  father,  call  on  John  Musgrave. 
There,  I  cannot  trust  myself  to  speak  to  you  any 
more,  though  I  have  so  much  to  say.  Good-night, 
and  good-by  ;  "  and  he  made  a  very  precipitate  re 
treat,  thoroughly  overcome  by  his  warm  Southern 
heart. 

"I  dread  to  leave  you  lookjng  so  sad  and  ill, 
or  else  I  would  say  good-night  also,"  said  Van 
Berg. 

She  started  as  if  she  had  half  forgotten  his  pres 
ence,  and  kept  her  face  averted  as  she  replied  : 

"  I  will  say  good-night  to  you,  Mr.  Van  Berg.  I 
would  prove  poor  company  this  evening." 

"  Before  you  go  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  letting  me 
stay,"  he  said,  hastily.     "  As  Mr.  Musgrave  asserted, 
14* 


322 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


you  would  indeed  never  have  told  me  what  I  have 
heard,  and  yet  I  would  riot  have  missed  hearing  it  for 
more  than  you  will  believe.  How  many  lives  have 
you  blessed,  Jennie  Burton  ?  " 

"  Not  very  many,  I  fear,  but  I  half  wish  I  knew. 
Each  one  would  be  like  an  argument." 

"  Arguments  that  should  prove  that  you  ought  to 
let  the  dead  past  bury  its  dead,  and  live  in  the  richer 
present,"  he  said,  earnestly. 

"  The  richer  present !  "  she  repeated  slowly,  and 
her  face  grew  almost  stern  in  its  reproach. 

"  Forgive  me — in  the  present  you  so  enrich,  then," 
he  said,  eagerly. 

Again  she  averted  her  face,  and  he  saw  that  for 
some  reason  she  wished  to  avoid  his  eyes. 

44  I  am  too  weak  and  unnerved  to  do  more  than  say 
good-night  again,"  she  said,  trying  to  smile.  "  You 
are  fast  learning  that  if  you  would  be  my  friend  you 
must  be  a  patient  and  generous  one." 

'*  Thank  heaven  I  came  to  the  Lake  House  ! " 
ejaculated  the  artist  as  he  strolled  out  into  the  star 
light.  Thank  heaven  for  this  mingling  of  mystery 
and  crystal  purity.  It  does  me  good  to  trust  her. 
There  is  a  deep  and  abiding  joy  in  the  very  generos 
ity  she  inspires.  I  am  learning  the  spell  under  which 
Emily  Musgrave  came.  But  how  strange  it  all  is  ! 
She  expected  some  one  to-night,  whom  she  would 
have  welcomed  as  she  never  will  me.  "The  only 
rival  I  have  to  fear  may  not  be  dead,  as  I  supposed, 
and  yet  my  perverse  heart  is  more  full  of  pity  for  her 
than  of  jealousy.  I  had  no  idea  that  I  was  capable 
of  such  self- abnegation.  Has  she  the  art  of  spiritual 


"HOPE  DIES  HARD: 


323 


alchemy,  and  so  can  transmute  natures  full  of  alloy 
into  fine  gold  ?" 

Van  Berg  was  an  acute  observer,  and  had  large 
acquaintance  with  the  world  in  which  he  lived,  and 
its  inhabitants.  He  was  to  himself,  however,  an 
unknown  quantity  in  the  main. 


324 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

PUZZLED. 

TUESDAY  was  dreary  enough  to  more  than  one 
at  the  Lake  House.  Clouds  covered  the  sky, 
yet  they  gave  little  promise  of  the  rain  which  the 
thirsty  earth  so  needed.  To  Ida,  as  she  looked  out 
late  in  the  morning,  they  seemed  like  a  leaden  wall 
around  her,  shutting  off  all  avenues  of  escape. 

Her  mother  joined  her  as  she  went  down  to  a  cold 
and  dismal  breakfast,  long  after  all  the  other  guests 
had  left  the  dining-room,  and  she  commenced  fretting 
and  fuming,  as  was  her  custom  when  the  world  did 
not  arrange  itself  to  suit  her  mood. 

"  Everything  is  on  the  bias  to-day,"  she  said, 
"  and  you  most  of  all  from  your  appearance.  I  wish 
I  could  see  things  straightened  out  for  once.  The 
little  school-ma'am,  who  turns  everybody's  head,  is 
sick  in  her  room,  and  did  not  come  down  to  break 
fast.  Therefore  we  had  a  Quaker  meeting.  If  you 
had  been  present  with  your  long  face,  the  occasion 
would  have  been  one  of  oppressive  solemnity.  Ik 
appeared  as  dejected  as  if  he  were  to  be  executed  be 
fore  dinner,  and  scarcely  ate  a  mouthful ;  I  never  saw 
a  fellow  so  changed  in  all  my  life.  Although  your 


fUZZLED.  325 

artist  friend  had  a  rapt,  absorbed  look,  he  was  still 
able  to  absorb  a  good  deal  of  steak  and  coffee.  I 
saw  him  and  Miss  Burton  emerge  from  a  private 
parlor  last  night,  and  he  probably  understands  Miss 
Burton's  malady  better  than  the  rest  of  us.  Why — • 
what's  the  matter  ?  Would  to  heaven  I  understood 
your  malady  better  !  Are  you  sick  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Ida,  rising  abruptly  from  the  table, 
"  I  am  sick — sick  of  myself,  sick  of  the  world." 

4<  Good  gracious  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Mayhew, 
sharply,  "  are  you  so  wrapt  up  in  that  fellow  Sibley, 
that  you  can't  live  without  him  ?" 

Ida  made  a  slight  but  expressive  gesture  of  protest 
and  disgust ;  then  said,  in  a  low  tone,  as  if  to  herself: 
"  If  my  own  mother  so  misjudges  me,  what  can  I  ex 
pect  of  others  ?  " 

Mrs.  Mayhew  followed  her  daughter  to  her  room 
with  a  perplexed  and  worried  look. 

"  Ida,"  she  began,  "  you  are  all  out  of  sorts  ;  you 
are  bilious  ;  you've  got  this  horrid  malaria,  that  the 
doctors  are  always  talking  about,  in  your  system. 
Let  me  send  for  our  city  physician,  Doctor  Betts. 
Never  was  such  a  man  at  diagnosis.  He  seems  to 
look  right  inside  of  one  and  see  everything  that's 
going  on  wrong." 

"  For  heaven's  sake  don't  send  for  him  then  !  "  ex 
claimed  Ida. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  looked  askance  at  her  daughter  a 
moment,  and  then  asked  bluntly  : 

"  Why  ?  What's  going  on  wrong  in  you  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  of  anything  that's  going  on  right, 
—to  use  your  own  phraseology." 


3 26  A   FACE  ILLUAUNED. 

"You  mean  to  say,  then,  that  there  is  something 
wrong  ?  " 

"  You  intimated  at  the  breakfast -table  that  every 
thing  was  going  wrong.  So  it  has  seemed  to  me,  for 
some  time.  But  come,  mother,  drugs  can't  reach 
my  trouble,  and  so  you  can't  help  me.  You  must 
leave  me  to  myself." 

"  I  think  you  might  tell  your  own  mother  what  is 
the  matter,"  whined  Mrs.  Mayhew. 

"  I  think  I  might  also,"  said  Ida,  coldly.  "It  is 
not  my  fault  but  my  great  misfortune  that  I  cannot." 

At  this  Mrs.  Mayhew  whimpered  :  "You  are  very 
cruel  to  talk  to  me  in  that  way." 

"  I  suppose  I'm  everything  that's  bad,"  Ida  an 
swered  recklessly.  "That  seems  to  be  the  general 
verdict.  Perhaps  it  would  be  best  for  you  all  were  i 
out  of  the  way.  I  can  scarcely  remember  when  I 
have  had  a  friendly  look  from  any  one.  Things 
could  not  be  much  worse  with  me  than  they  are  now. 
I  think  I  would  like  a  change,  and  may  have  a  very 
decided  one."  Then  seizing  her  hat,  she  left  her 
mother  to  herself. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  sank  into  a  chair,  and  a  heavy  frown 
gathered  on  her  brow  as  she  thought  deeply  for  a  few 
moments. 

"That  girl  means  mischief,"  she  muttered.  "I 
wonder  if  she  is  holding  any  communication  with 
Sibley  ?  I  always  thought  Ida  would  take  care  of  her 
self,  but  she'll  bear  watching  now.  She  hasn't  been 
like  herself  since  she  came  to  this  place.  I  must  con 
sult  Ik  at  once.  Things  are  bad  enough  now,  heav 
en  knows ;  but  if  Ida  should  do  anything  disgrace- 


PUZZLED. 

ful,  I'd  have  to  throw  up  the  game."  (Mrs.  Mayhew 
was  an  inveterate  card-player,  and  her  favorite  amuse 
ment  often  colored  her  thoughts  and  words.) 

Stanton  was  found  smoking  and  pretending  to 
read  a  newspaper  in  a  retired  corner  of  the  piazza, 
but  from  which,  nevertheless,  he  could  see  whether 
Miss  Burton  made  her  appearance  during  the  morn 
ing. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  explained  her  fears,  and  the  young 
man  used  very  strong  language  in  expressing  his  dis 
gust  and  irritation. 

"  A  curse  upon  it  all  !  "  he  concluded.  "  Since  she 
must,  and  apparently  will  gratify  this  low  taste,  can 
you  not  return  to  New  York,  patch  up  the  fellow  into 
some  sort  of  respectability  and  marry  them  with  a 
blare  of  brazen  instruments  that  will  drown  the 
world's  unpleasant  remarks  ?  " 

"That  would  be  better  than  the  scandal  of  an 
elopement,"  mused  perplexed  Mrs.  Mayhew.  "  From 
what  you  say,  Sibley  is  bad  enough,  and  Ida  seems 
reckless  enough  to  do  anything.  I  wish  we  had  never 
come  here." 

"  So  do  I,"  groaned  Stanton.  "  No,  I  don't,  either. 
In  fact  I'm  in  a  devil  of  a  mess  myself.  You  know 
it,  and  I  suppose  all  see  it.  I  can't  help  it  if  they  do. 
My  passion,  no  doubt,  is  vain,  but  it's  to  my  credit. 
Ida's  is  disgraceful  to  herself  and  to  us  all.  If  I'd 
been  here  alone  and  Van  Berg  had  not  come,  I  might 
have  succeeded  ;  but  now  " — and  with  a  despairing 
gesture  he  turned  away. 

"  Ik,  come  back,"  cried  his  aunt,  "  of  course  I  feel 
ibr  you.  You  are  independent,  andean  marry  whom 


328  A    FACE   ILLUMINED. 

you  please,  though  heaven  knows  you  could  do  better 
than " 

"  Heaven  knows  nothing  of  the  kind,"  he  interrupt 
ed,  irritably,  "  and  if  you  were  nearer  heaven but 

there,  what's  the  use." 

"  You're  right  now,  Ik.  We  can't  afford  to  quar 
rel.  You  must  talk  to  Ida.  We  must  watch  her. 
Find  out  if  you  can  what  is  in  her  mind,  and  if  the 
worst  comes  to  the  worst,  they  will  have  to  be  mar 
ried.  I  suppose  it  will  be  wise  to  hint  to  her  that  if 
she  will  marry  Sibley  she  had  better  do  it  in  as  re 
spectable  and  quiet  a  way  as  possible." 

"  The  idea  of  anything  being  respectable  and  quiet 
where  they  are  concerned  !  "  snarled  Stanton. 

"Well,  well,"  groaned  Mrs.  Mayhew,  "do  your 
best." 

But  Ida  was  not  to  be  found. 

She  appeared  at  dinner,  however,  and  not  a  few 
looked  at  her,  and  stole  furtive  glances  again  and 
again.  Among  these  observers  was  the  artist,  and  it 
was  evident  that  he  was  both  perplexed  and  troubled. 
Was  this  cold,  marble-cheeked  woman  the  butterfly 
that  had  fluttered  into  the  country  a  few  weeks 
since  ? 

"  She  may  be  a  bad  woman,"  he  thought,  "  but 
she  has  become  a  woman  within  the  last  few  days. 
She  looks  years  older.  I  thought  her  shallow,  but 
she's  too  deep  for  me.  For  some  reason  I  can't  asso 
ciate  that  face,  as  it  now  appears,  with  Sibley,  and  yet 
it  is  so  full  of  mingled  pain  and  defiance,  that  one 
might  almost  think  she  meditated  a  crime.  She  looks 
ill.  She  is  ill — she  is  growing  thin  and  hollow-eyed. 


PUZZLED.  329 

What  a  magnificent  study  she  would  make  of  a  half- 
famished  captive  ;  or  of  beauty  chained — not  married 
to  a  man  hateful  and  hated  ;  or,  possibly,  of  inno 
cence  meditating  guilt,  and  yet  seeking  vainly 'to 
disguise  the  dark  thoughts  by  a  marble  mask. 
There  is  some  transforming  process  going  on  in  Ida 
Mayhew's  mind,  and  from  her  appearance  I  rather 
dread  the  outcome  ;  but  her  face  is  becoming  a  rare 
study."  •$••.;: 

Although  with  the  exception  of  a  slight  response 
to  his  formal  bow  she  had  sought  to  ignore  his  pres 
ence  and  to  avoid  his  eyes,  she  was  still  conscious  of 
this  furtive  scrutiny,  and  it  hurt  her  cruelly.  It 
seemed  as  if  he  were  studying  her  as  one  might  a 
peculiar  specimen. 

"  His  critical  eyes  are  trying  to  look  into  my 
heart  as  they  did  into  the  poor  little  rose-bud,"  she 
thought  ;  and  her  face  grew  more  rigid  and  inscru 
table  under  his  gaze.  As  early  as  possible  she  left 
the  table. 

"I  wish  I  knew  just  what  her  trouble  was,"  thought 
the  artist.  "  If  not  connected  with  that  wretch  Sibley , 
I  could  pity  her  with  all  my  heart.  Well,  take  all 
the  good  the  gods  send,  I'll  sketch  her  face  this  after 
noon  as  I  have  last  seen  it." 

"Your  cousin  begins  to  look  decidedly  ill,"  he 
said  to  Stanton,  after  dinner. 

His  friend's  only  reply  was  an  imprecation. 

"  Your  remark  is  emphatic  enough,  but  I  don't  un 
derstand  it  any  better  than  I  do  Miss  Mayhew." 

"  It's  to  your  credit  you  don't.  Her  mother  has 
reason  to  believe  that  there  is  some  deviltry  on  foot 


330  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

between  her  and  Sibley.  I'm  to  find  out  and  thwart 
her  if  I  can.  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  say,  in  sub 
stance  :  '  Since  you  will  throw  yourself  away  on  the 
fellow,  go  through  the  formalities  that  society  de 
mands.  In  such  case  your  family  will  submit,  if  they 
can't  approve.  You  see  I'm  frank  with  you,  as  I've 
been  frorffthe  first.'  Would  to  heaven  she  had  never 
come  here,  and  now  I  think  of  it  there  has  been  a 
change  in  her  for  the  worse  ever  since  she  came.  It 
must  be  the  influence  of  that  cursed  Sibley.  Some 
women  are  fools  to  begin  with  ;  but  from  a  fool  in 
fatuated  with  a  villain,  good  Lord  deliver  us  1  " 

"  You  fear  an  elopement  then  ?  "  said  Van  Berg, 
his  face  darkening  into  his  deepest  frown. 

"  I  fear  worse  than  that.  Sibley  is  as  treacherous 
as  a  quagmire.  If  a  woman  ventured  into  a  false 
position  with  him  he  would  marry  her  only  when  com 
pelled  to  do  so.  I'm  savage  enough  to  shoot  them 
both  this  afternoon.  I  see  but  oneway  out.  I  must 
warn  her  promptly,  and  in  language  so  emphatic  that 
she  will  understand  it,  that  everything  must  be  after 
the  regulation  style." 

Van  Berg  made  a  gesture  of  contempt,  but  said  to 
his  friend  : 

"  Stanton,  I'm  sorry  for  you.  Such  trouble  as  this 
would  cut  me  deeper  than  any  other  kind.  If  I  can 
do  anything  to  help  you,  count  on  me.  I'm  in  the 
mood  myself  to  shoot  Sibley,  for  he  has  spoiled  for 
me  the  fairest  face  that  evil  ever  perverted." 

Van  Berg  did  not  sketch  Ida  Mayhew's  face  that 
afternoon.  On  the  contrary,  he  resolutely  sought  to 
banish  her  image  from  his  mind.  When  last  he  saw 


PUZZLED. 


331 


that  face,  it  seemed  made  of  Parian  marble.  Now  it 
rose  before  him  so  blackened  and  besmirched  that  he 
thought  of  it  only  with  anger  and  disgust. 

Ida  kept  herself  so  secluded  in  the  afternoon  that 
Stanton  could  not  find  her,  but  this  very  seclusion, 
which  the  poor  girl  sought  in  order  to  hide  her  wounds, 
only  stimulated  his  own,  and  Mrs.  Mayhew's  fears 
deepened  their  suspicions. 

She  was  a  little  late  in  appearing  at  the  supper- 
table,  for  her  return  from  the  wanderings  of  the  after 
noon  had  required  more  time  than  she  supposed.  She 
was  very  weary ;  moreover,  the  hours  spent  in  soli 
tude  with  nature  had  quieted  her  overstrung  nerves. 
The  sun  had  shone  upon  her,  though  the  world  seemed 
to  frown.  Flowers  had  looked  shyly  and  sweetly  into 
her  face  as  if  they  saw  nothing  there  to  criticise.  She 
had  plucked  a  few  and  fastened  them  into  her  breast 
pin,  and  their  faint  perfume  was  like  a  low,  soothing 
voice.  She  was  in  a  softened  and  receptive  mood, 
and  a  kind  word,  even  a  kind  glance,  might  have 
turned  the  scale  in  favor  of  better  thoughts  and  better 
living. 

But  she  did  not  receive  them.  Her  coming  to  the 
table  was  greeted  with  an  ominous  silence,  for  each 
one  was  conscious  of  thoughts  so  greatly  to  her  pre 
judice  that  they  scarcely  wished  to  meet  her  eye.  Mrs. 
Mayhew  looked  excessively  worried  and  anxious. 
Stanton  was  flushed  and  angry.  The  artist  was  as  icy 
as  he  only  knew  how  to  be  when  he  deemed  there 
was  sufficient  occasion  ;  and  in  his  opinion,  the  pres 
ence  of  the  prospective  and  willing  bride  of  the  man 
who  had  attempted  his  life,  and,  what  was  far  worse, 


332 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


insulted  the  woman  he  most  honored,  was  occasion, 
indeed. 

From  time  to  time  he  gave  her  a  cold,  curious 
glance,  as  one  might  look  at  some  strange,  abnormal 
thing  for  which  there  is  no  accounting  ;  but  his  slight 
scrutiny  was  no  longer  furtive.  He  looked  at  her 
openly  as  he  would  at  an  object,  and  not  at  a  woman 
whose  feelings  he  would  not  wound  for  the  world. 
His  thought  was:  "  A  creature  akin  to  Sibley  de 
serves  no  consideration,  and  can  put  in  no  just  claim 
for  delicacy." 

Indeed  he  felt  a  peculiar  vindictiveness  towards  her 
to-night,  because  she  had  so  thwarted  him,  and  was 
about  to  carry  her  extraordinary  dower  of  beauty  to 
the  moral  slough  that  seemingly  awaited  her.  There 
fore,  his  glance  swept  carelessly  over  her  with  a  cold 
indifference  that  chilled  her  very  soul. 

But  these  transient  glances  caught  enough  to 
trouble  him  with  a  vague  uneasiness.  Although  he 
was  steeled  against  her  by  prejudice  and  anger,  some 
thing  in  her  appearance  so  pleaded  in  her  favor  that 
misgivings  would  arise.  Once  he  thought  she  met 
his  eyes  with  something  like  an  appeal  in  her  own,  but 
he  would  not  look  long  enough  to  be  sure.  A  mo 
ment  later  he  was  vexed  with  himself  that  he  had  not. 

The  silence  or  the  forced  remarks  at  the  table  were 
equally  oppressive,  and  Ida  immediately  felt  that  she 
was  the  cause  of  the  restraint.  She  was  about  to 
leave  the  table  in  order  to  relieve  them  of  her  pres 
ence,  when  Miss  Burton  unexpectedly  entered  and 
took  her  chair,  which  hitherto  had  been  vacant.  She 
was  a  little  pale  and  wan,  but  this  only  made  her  look 


PUZZLED. 


333 


the  more  interesting,  and  both  Stanton  and  Van  Berg 

welcomed  her  as  they  would  the  sunshine  after  a 

dreary  storm.      Even  Mrs.  Mayhew  seemed  to  find  a 

wonderful  relief  in  her  coming,  and  added  her  voluble 

congratulations. 

\**\l  I  have  had  nervous  headaches  myself,  and  know 

how  to  sympathize  with  you,"  she  concluded. 

*'  She  does  not  know  how  to  sympathize  with  me," 
sighed  her  daughter. 

The  sigh  caught  Van  Berg's  attention,  and  he 
was  surprised  to  see  that  the  maiden's  eyes  were  full 
of  tears.  She  bowed  her  head  a  moment  to  hide 
them,  and  then  abruptly  left  the  table  and  the  room. 

The  artist's  misgivings  ended  in  something  like 
compunction,  as  he  thought:  "  Her  tears  are  caused  by 
the  contrast  between  the  icy  reception  we  gave  her, 
and  the  cordial  welcome  we  have  just  given  Miss  Bur 
ton.  Confound  it  all !  I  wish  I  knew  the  exact 
truth,  or  that  she  would  leave  for  parts  unknown 
where  I  could  never  see  her  again." 

Miss  Burton  glanced  wistfully  after  the  retreating 
maiden,  but  no  explanation  was  offered.  Then,  as 
if  feeling  that  she  had  lost  a  day's  opportunity  for 
diffusing  sunshine,  she  became  more  genial  and 
brilliant  than  Van  Berg  had  ever  known  her  to  be. 
They  lingered  long  at  the  table  ;  Mr.  Burleigh  and 
others  joined  them.  Their  laughter  rang  out  and  up 
to  the  dusky  room  in  which  poor  Ida  was  sobbing, 

"  I  wish  I  were  dead  and  out  of  every  one's  way." 

Van  Berg  laughed  with  the  others,  but  never  for  a 
moment  did  he  lose  the  uneasy  consciousness  that 
he  might  possibly  be  misjudging  Ida  Mayhew.  Al- 


334  A    FACE   ILLUMINED. 

though  Mr.  Burleigh's  portly  form  occupied  her  chair, 
it  did  not  prevent  him  from  seeing  a  pale,  tearful 
face  that  was  far  too  beautiful,  far  too  free  from  all 
gross  and  sensual  elements,  to  harmonize  with  the 
character  he  was  supposing  her  to  possess.  He  re 
called  what  she  had  said  about  the  "  fragrance  "  of 
the  rose-bud  he  had  torn  and  tossed  away,  rising  to 
him  like  "  a  low,  timid  appeal  for  mercy."  Had  she 
shyly  and  timidly  appealed  to  him  for  a  kinder  judg 
ment  that  evening,  and  had  he  been  too  blind  and 
prejudiced  to  see  anything  save  the  stains  left  by 
Sibley's  name  ?  If  she  proposed  to  go  to  Sibley, 
why  was  she  not  like  him  in  manner  ?  It  was  strange 
that  one  akin  to  such  a  fellow  should  fasten  wild  flow 
ers  on  her  bosom,  and  still  more  strange  that  they 
should  be  so  becoming. 

The  cool  and  sagacious  Van  Berg,  who  so  prided 
himself  on  his  correct  judgment,  was  decidedly  per 
plexed  and  perturbed. 


DESPEKA  TEL  Y 


335 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

DESPERATELY    WOUNDED. 

OTANTON  basked  in  Miss  Burton's  smiles  until  a 
*— J  significant  look  from  Mrs.  Mayhew  reminded 
him  of  his  disagreeable  task,  for  the  performance  of 
which  there  seemed  a  greater  urgency  than  ever. 
Ida's  rather  precipitate  withdrawal  from  the  supper- 
room  was  another  proof  in  their  eyes  that  some  mis 
chief  was  brewing. 

He  listened  at  her  door  for  a  moment,  and  could 
not  fail  to  hear  the  stifled  sound  of  her  passionate 
grief;  then  knocked,  but  there  was  no  response. 

'*  Ida,"  he  said,  in  a  kinder  tone  than  usual,  "  I 
want  to  see  you." 

She  tried  to  quiet  her  sobbing,  and  after  a  moment 
faltered  :  "  You  had  better  leave  me  to  myself." 

"  No,  I  must  see  you,"  he  said  kindly  but  firmly; 
"  I  have  something  to  say  to  you." 

The  poor  girl  was  so  lonely  and  heart-broken,  that 
she  was  ready  for  the  least  ray  of  comfort.  She  now 
saw  that  she  was  ignorant  and  exceedingly  faulty. 
She  was  ready  to  admit  the  fact  that  she  had  acted 
very  foolishly  and  unwisely,  and  that  circumstances 
were  against  her.  Ill-omened  circumstances  have 
brought  to  condemnation  and  death  innocent  men. 


336  4   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

Ida  would  not  now  claim  that  she  was  innocent  of 
blame,  but  events  had  seemed  so  unfortunate  of  late, 
that  she  was  half  ready  to  think  that  some  vindictive 
hand  was  shaping  them. 

But  she  did  not  feel  that  she  was  now  worse  than 
she  had  been.  On  the  contrary,  she  had  longings  for 
a  better  life  and  a  broader  culture  such  as  she  had 
never  experienced  before.  The  artist's  eyes,  in  search 
ing  for  her  woman's  soul,  revealed  to  her  that  she  had 
been  a  fool  ;  but  now  she  would  gladly  become  a 
woman  if  some  one  would  only  point  out  the  way. 

"  Mother  and  Ik  might  learn  that  I  am  not  wholly 
bad  if  they  would  only  take  the  trouble  to  find  out," 
she  murmured.  "  Ik  used  to  be  kind-hearted,  and  I 
thought  he  cared  a  little  for  me,  in  spite  of  our  spar 
ring.  Why  is  he  so  hard  on  me  of  late  ?  Why 
can't  he  believe  that  I  am  just  as  capable  of  detesting 
Sibley  as  he  is  ?  Perhaps  he  does  mean  to  say  a  kind 
word,  and  give  me  a  chance  to  explain." 

These  thoughts  passed  through  her  mind  as  she 
lighted  the  gas  and  bathed  her  face,  that  she  might,  to 
some  extent,  remove  the  evidences  of  grief. 

Stanton  misunderstood  her  wholly.  The  new  Ida, 
that  deep  feeling  and  recent  events  were  develop 
ing,  was  unknown  to  him,  and  he  had  been  too  pre 
occupied  to  see  the  changes,  even  had  they  been 
more  apparent.  He  did  feel  a  sort  of  commiseration 
for  her  evident  suffering,  for  he  was  too  kind-hearted 
not  to  sympathize  even  when  he  believed  pain  to  be 
well-deserved.  But  he  thought  he  must  still  deal 
with  her  as  a  wayward,  passionate  child,  as  he  had 
in  the  past,  when  she  cried  till  she  obtained  what 


DESPERATELY   WOUNDED. 

she  wished,  right  or  wrong.  He  now  believed 
that  she  was  as  fully  bent  on  carrying  out  her  own 
unreasonable  will,  but  remembered  that  she  was  no 
longer  a  child,  and  might  be  guilty  of  folly  that 
society  would  not  forgive  as  childish.  Therefore  he 
wished  to  see  her  face,  and  was  disposed  to  be  wary 
and  observant. 

He  gave  her  a  quick,  keen  glance  as  he  entered, 
and  then  said  : 

"  What's,  the  matter,  Ida  ?  Why  do  you  sit  here  in 
the  shadows  ?  It's  as  dark  as  a  pocket ;  "  and  he 
turned  the  gas  higher. 

She  did  not  answer,  but  sat  down  with  her  face 
averted  from  him  and  the  light.  "  He  has  come  here 
as  a  spy,  and  not  as  a  comforter,"  she  thought. 

He  looked  at  her  a  moment,  mistook  her  silence 
as  an  expression  of  the  settled  obstinacy  of  her  pur 
pose. 

"Well,  Ida,"  he  said,  a  little  irritably,  "I  know 
you  of  old.  I  suppose  you  will  have  your  own  way 
as  usual.  If  we  must  submit,  why  then  we  must  ; 
but  you  can't  expect  us  to  do  so  with  any  grace.  If 
you  won't  give  up  this  Sibley,  for  heaven's  sake  let 
your  mother  arrange  the  matter  after  the  fashion  of 
the  day  !  Out  of  regard  for  your  family,  go  through 
all  the  regular  formalities." 

She  started  violently  and  then  leaned  back  in  her 
chair  as  if  she  were  faint,  and  half  stunned  by  a  blow. 
He  regarded  her  manner  as  an  evidence  of  guilt,  or, 
at  least,  of  proposed  criminal  imprudence  on  her 
part,  and  went  on  still  more  plainly  : 

"  If  you  can't  exist  without  Sibley — why,  marry 
'5 


338  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

him  ;  but  see  to  it  that  there  is  a  plenty  of  priest, 
altar,  and  service  ;  for  you  know,  or  you  ought  to, 
that  he's  a  man  who  can't  be  trusted  a  hair's 
breadth." 

She  averted  her  face  still  farther,  and  said  in  a  low, 
constrained  tone : 

"  My  family,  then,  consent  that  I  should  marry 
Mr.  Sibley  ?  " 

"No;  we  submit  to  the  marriage  as  an  odious 
necessity,  on  condition  that  you  put  the  whole  matter 
into  your  mother's  hands  and  allow  her  to  arrange 
everything  according  to  society's  requirements." 

<4  Please  let  me  understand  you,"  she  said,  in  a 
lower  voice.  "  My  family  offer  to  submit  to  the  mar 
riage  as  a  dire  necessity  lest  my  relations  with  Mr. 
Sibley  cover  them  with  a  deeper  shame  ?  " 

"  Well,  in  plafn  English,  yes." 

"  It  is  indeed  extraordinarily  plain  English — bru 
tally  plain.  And  does — does  Mr.  Van  Berg  share  in 
your  estimate  of  me  ?  "  * 

Her  manner  and  words  began  to  puzzle  Stanton, 
and  he  remembered  the  artist's  question  —  "  Are 
you  absolutely  sure  that  Sibley  is  the  cause  of  her 
trouble  ?  "  He  thought  that  perhaps  it  might  be 
good  policy  to  contrast  the  two  men. 

"  To  be  frank,"  he  replied,  "  I  think  Mr.  Van 
Berg  has  both  wished  and  tried  to  think  well  of  you. 
He  admired  your  beauty  immensely,  and  sought  to 
find  something  in  your  character  that  corresponded 
with  it.  Even  after  your  studied  rudeness  to  him, 
your  open  preference  of  Sibley's  society  to  his,  and 
your  remark  explaining  your  course,  '  congenial 


DESPERATELY   WOUNDED.  339 

society  or  none  at  all'  "  (Ida  fairly  groaned  as  he  re 
called  her  folly),  "  he  tried  to  treat  you  politely. 
That  you  should  refuse  the  society  of  a  gentleman 
like  my  friend  for  the  sake  of  such  a  low  fellow  as 
Sibley,  is  to  us  all  a  disgusting  and  fathomless  mys 
tery.  The  belief  that  you  could  throw  yourself  and 
your  rare  beauty  into  this  abominable  slough,  was  so 
revolting  to  Van  Berg,  that  he  never  would  wholly 
accept  of  it  until  to-day." 

She  rose  to  her  feet  and  turned  upon  him.  Her 
eyes  were  fairly  blazing  with  indignation,  and  her 
face  was  white  and  terrible  from  her  anger.  In  tones 
such  as  he  had  never  heard  any  woman  use  before, 
she  said  : 

"  But  to-day  you  have  succeeded  in  satisfying  him 
that  this  is  not  only  possible,  but  the  most  natural 
thing  for  me  to  do.  You  have  told  him  that  my 
family  will  submit  to  my  marriage  with  a  loathsome 
wretch,  who  got  drunk  in  the  presence  of  ladies,  in 
sulted  an  orphan  girl,  and  attempted  murder — and 
all  in  one  Sunday  afternoon.  I  suppose  you  thought 
me  captivated,  and  carried  away  by  such  a  burst  and 
blaze  of  villainy  ;  and  so  my  high-toned  family  ex 
plain  to  the  faultless  and  aristocratic  Mr.  Van  Berg  that 
they  will  submit  to  an  odious  marriage  lest  I  clandes 
tinely  follow  the  scoundrel  who  was  very  properly 
driven  away,  like  the  base  cur  he  is.  This  is  why 
you  received  me  to-night  as  if  I  were  a  pestilence. 
This  is  why  I  was  treated  at  the  table  as  if  I  were  a 
death's  head.  This  is  why  your  perfect  friend  looked 
towards  me  as  if  my  chair  were  vacant.  He  refused 
even  to  recognize  the  existence  of  such  a  loathsome 


340  A   FACE  ILLUMINED.    ' 

thing  as  my  family  explain  to  him  that  I  am.  Great 
heaven  !  may  I  never  live  to  receive  a  deeper  humil 
iation  than  this  !  " 

"But,  Ida,"  cried  Stanton,  deeply  alarmed  and 
agitated  by  her  manner,  "how  else  could  we  explain 
your  action  and  your  reckless  Avords  to  your  mother  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  admit  that  circumstances  are  against  me, 
but  there  is  no  excuse  for  this  outrage  !  I  don't  know 
what  I  did  say  to  mother.  I've  been  too  wretched 
and  discouraged  to  remember.  She  is  my  mother,  and 
I'll  say  nothing  against  her,  though,  heaven  knows,  she 
has  been  a  strange  mother  to  me.  Would  to  God  I 
had  a  father  that  I  could  go  to,  or  a  brother  !  But  it 
seems  I  have  not  a  friend  in  the  great,  scornful  world. 
Don't  interrupt  me.  Words  count  for  nothing  now,  and 
mine  least  of  all.  If  you  were  all  ready  to  believe  me 
capable  of  what  you  have  plainly  intimated,  you  need 
something  stronger  than  words  to  convince  you  to 
the  contrary.  Of  one  thing  I  shall  make  sure — you 
and  your  faultless  friend  shall  never  have  the  chance 
to  insult  me  again.  I  wish  you  to  leave  my  room." 

"  Oh  come,  Ida,  listen  to  reason,"  Stanton  began 
coaxingly. 

"  I  admitted  you,"  she  interrupted  with  a  repellant 
gesture,  "  in  the  hope  of  receiving  a  little  kindness, 
for  which  I  was  famishing,  but  I  would  rather  you 
had  stabbed  me  than  have  said  what  you  have.  Hush, 
not  a  word  more.  The  brutal  wrong  has  been  done. 
Will  you  not  go  ?  This  is  my  private  apartment.  I 
command  you  to  leave  it  ;  and  if  you  will  not  obey  I 
will  summon  Mr.  Burleigh  ;  "  and  she  placed  her 
hand  on  the  bell. 


DESPERA  TEL  Y   WO  UNDED. 


341 


Her  manner  was  at  once  so  commanding  and  threat 
ening  that  Stanton,  with  a  gesture  of  deprecation  and 
protest,  silently  obeyed. 

He  was  so  surprised  and  unnerved  by  the  interview 
in  which  the  maiden  had  turned  upon  him  with  a 
fiery  indignation  that  was  almost  volcanic,  that  he 
wished  to  think  the  affair  all  over  and  regain  his  com 
posure  before  meeting  any  one.  Clearly  they  had 
failed  to  understand  Ida  of  late,  and  had  misjudged 
her  utterly.  And  yet,  guided  by  appearances,  he  felt 
that  they  could  scarcely  have  come  to  any  other  con 
clusion. 

Now  that  he  had  been  jostled  out  of  his  preoccupa 
tion,  he  began  to  realize  that  Ida  had  not  appeared 
of  late  like  the  frivolous  girl  that  had  accompanied 
him  to  the  country.  Changes  were  taking  place 
in  her  as  well  as  in  himself,  "  but  not  from  the  same 
cause,"  he  thought.  "  After  her  words  and  manner 
to-night,  I  cannot  doubt  but  that  Sibley  has  disgusted 
her  as  well  as  the  rest  of  us,  although  she  had  a 
strange  way  of  showing  it.  It  cannot  be  that  a  woman 
would  speak  of  a  man  for  whom  she  had  any  regard, 
as  Ida  did  of  the  wretch  with  whom  we  were  associa 
ting  her  ;  and  as  for  Van  Berg,  she  has  taken  no  pains 
to  conceal  her  strong  dislike  for  him  from  the  first  day 
of  their  meeting.  I  can't  think  of  any  one  else  at  pres 
ent  (although  there  might  be  a  score)  who  is  disturb 
ing  the  shallow  waters  of  her  mind. 

"  I'm  inclined  to  think  that  she  is  deeply  mortified 
at  the  false  position  in  which  Sibley  has  placed  her, 
and  is  too  proud  to  make  explanations.  It  may  be 
also  that  she  is  realizing  more  fully  the  disgrace  of 


342  A    FACE  JLLUMIXED. 

her  father's  course,  and  it  is  also  possible  that  she  is 
waking  up  to  a  sense  of  her  own  deficiencies.  Al 
though  she  could  not  fail  to  dislike  such  people  as 
Jennie  Burton  and  Van  Berg,  she  would  be  apt  to 
contrast  herself  with  them  and  the  impression  which 
she  and  they  made  on  society.  Confound  it  all  !  I 
wish  I  had  not  taken  it  for  granted  that  she  was 
pining  for  Sibley  and  ready  to  throw  herself  away 
for  his  sake.  It  has  placed  me  in  a  deucedly  awk 
ward  position.  I  doubt  if  she  ever  fully  forgives  me, 
and  can't  blame  her  if  she  doesn't." 

"  Well  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Mayhew,  as  Stanton  moodily 
approached  her. 

"Come  with  me,"  he  said.  When  they  were 
alone  he  prefaced  his  story  with  the  irritable  remark : 

"  It's  a  pity  you  can't  understand  your  daughter 
better.  She  detests  Sibley." 

"Thank  heaven  for  that,"  exclaimed  the  mother. 

"  I  should  be  more  inclined  to  thank  both  heaven 
and  yourself  if  you  had  discovered  the  fact  before 
sending  me  on  such  an  intensely  disagreeable  mission. 
You  must  manage  your  daughter  yourself  hereafter, 
for  she'll  never  take  anything  more  from  me ;  "  and 
he  told  her  substantially  the  nature  of  his  interview, 
and  his  surmises  as  to  the  real  causes  of  her  trouble. 

"  I  think  you  are  right,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew,  whose 
impressions  were  as  changeable  as  superficial  ;  "  and 
I'm  excessively  glad  to  think  so.  With  her  beauty, 
Ida  can,  in  spite  of  her  father,  make  a  brilliant  match, 
in  every  sense  of  the  word  ;  "  and  with  the  prospect 
of  this  supreme  consummation  of  life  regained,  the 
wife  and  mother  gave  a  sigh  of  great  relief. 


DESPERATELY  WOVXDED.  34 3 

"  But  she's  in  an  awful  mood,  I  can  tell  you,''  said 
Stanton,  dubiously.  "  I  never  knew  a  woman  to  look 
and  speak  as  she  did  to-night.  If  you  don't  manage 
better  she'll  make  us  trouble  yet." 

"  Oh,  I'm  used  to  Ida's  tantrums.  They  don't  last. 
Nothing  does  with  her.  Time  and  another  admirer 
will  bring  her  around." 

"  Well',  you  ought  to  know,"  said  Stanton  with  a 
shrug  ;  "  but  I  retire  from  the  management.  I  can't 
help  saying,  however,  that  something  in  her  looks  and 
words  makes  me  uneasy.  I  regret  exceedingly  I 
spoke  as  I  did,  and  shall  apologize  at  the  first  oppor 
tunity." 

"  You'll  have  that  in  the  morning.  Things  are  so 
much  better  than  I  feared  that  I  am  greatly  relieved. 
She'll  come  around  now  if  nothing  more  is  said. 
Roiled  water  always  settles  when  kept  quiet  ;  "  and 
Mrs.  Mayhew  returned  to  the  parlor  in  much  better 
spirits. 

Stanton  followed  his  aunt  and  joined  a  small  group 
that  had  gathered  around  Miss  Burton.  Van  Berg 
gave  him  a  quick,  questioning  look,  but  gathered  the 
impression  only  that  he  had  been  subjected  to  a  very 
painful  interview. 

"  She  has  evidently  realized  his  worst  fears/'  he 
thought;  "  curses  on  her  !"  and  his  face  grew  fairly 
black  for  a  moment  with  anger  and  disgust. 

But  Jennie  Burton's  silver  tongue  soon  charmed 
away  the  evil  spirits  from  both  the  young  men. 

She  had  fine  conversational  powers,  and  her  keen 
intuition  and  her  controlling  passion  to  give  pleasure 
enabled  her  to  detect  and  draw  out  the  best  thoughts 


344 


A   FACE   ILLUMtXED. 


of  others.  Her  evident  sympathy  put  every  one  at 
ease,  and  gave  people  the  power  of  such  happy  ex 
pression  that  they  were  surprised  at  themselves,  and 
led  to  believe  that  they  not  only  received  but  gave 
something  better  than  the  average.  Therefore,  under 
the  magic  of  her  good-will,  both  eyes  and  minds  kin 
dled,  and  even  common-place  persons  became  almost 
brilliant  and  eloquent. 

Stanton's  was  the  only  clouded  face  in  her  circle 
that  evening  ;  and  true  to  her  instinct,  she  set  about 
banishing  his  trouble,  whatever  it  might  be — an  easy 
task  with  her  power  over  him. 

Since  it  daily  became  more  evident  to  her  that  she 
must  wound  his  vanity,  and,  perhaps  his  heart  a  lit 
tle,  she  tried  to  make  amends  by  showing  him  such 
public  consideration  as  might  rob  his  disappointment 
of  humiliation  and  bitterness. 

Stanton,  therefore,  soon  forgot  Ida's  desperate  face, 
and  was  enjoying  himself  at  his  best. 

Yet  Ida's  face  but  faintly  revealed  her  heart.  It 
seemed  that  the  end  had  now  come  in  very  truth,  and 
she  was  conscious  chiefly  of  a  wild  impulse  to  escape 
from  her  shame  and  suffering.  There  was  also  a  bit 
ter  sense  of  wrong  and  a  wish  to  retaliate. 

"  I'll  teach  them  all  a  lesson,"  she  muttered,  as  she 
paced  her  room  swiftly  to  and  fro.  "This  proud  artist 
thinks  he  can  look  at  me  as  if  I  were  empty  air  ;  that 
he  can  forget  me  as  he  has  the  rose-bud  he  tossed 
away.  I  will  insure  that  he  looks  at  me  once  with  a 
face  as  white  as  mine  will  then  be,  and  that  he  re 
members  me  to  his  dying  day." 

After  becoming  more  calm,  and  as  if  acting  under 


DESPERATELY   WOUNDED.  345 

a  sudden  impulse,  she  hastily  made  a  simple  but  sin 
gular  toilet. 

When  completed,  her  mirror  reflected  a  plain,  close- 
fitting,  black  gown,  which  left  her  neck  and  arms 
bare.  Around  her  white  throat  she  placed  a  black 
velvet  band,  and  joined  it  by  a  small  jet  poniard  stud 
ded  with  diamonds.  Her  sunny  hair  was  wound  in 
to  a  severely  simple  coil,  and  also  fastened  with  a 
larger  poniard,  from  the  haft  and  guard  of  which  glis 
tened  diamonds  of  peculiar  brilliancy.  She  took  off 
all  her  rings,  and  wore  no  other  ornaments.  Then 
taking  from  her  table  a  book,  bearing  conspicuously 
as  its  title  the  word  "  Misjudged,"  she  went  down  to 
the  parlor. 

She  paused  a  moment  on  the  threshold  before  she 
was  noticed.  Her  mother  was  eagerly  gossiping 
with  two  or  three  fashionable  women  about -a  scandal 
that  she  hoped  might  cause  her  own  family's  short 
comings  to  be  forgotten  in  part.  Miss  Burton  was 
telling  a  story  in  her  own  inimitable  style,  and  rip 
ples  of  smiles  and  laughter  eddied  from  her  constant 
ly.  Stanton's  and  Van  Berg's  faces  were  aglow  with 
pleasure,  and  it  was  plain  the  speaker  absorbed  all 
their  thoughts. 

"  In  the  same  way  he  will  forget  me,  after  I  am 
dead,"  said  the  unhappy  girl  to  herself,  and  the 
thought  sent  a  colder  chill  to  her  heart,  and  a  deeper 
pallor  to  her  face. 

Her  gaze  seemed  to  draw  his,  for  he  looked  up  sud 
denly.  On  recognizing  her  his  first  impulse  was  to 
coldly  avert  his  eyes,  but  in  a  second  her  unusual  ap 
pearance  riveted  his  attention.  She  saw  the  impulse, 
15* 


A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

however,  and  would  not  look  towards  him  again.  She 
entered  as  quietly  and  as  unexpectedly  as  a  ghost, 
and  the  people  seemed  as  much  surprised  and  per 
plexed  as  if  she  were  a  ghost. 

She  took  a  seat  somewhat  apart  from  all  others, 
and  apparently  commenced  reading.  She  was  not 
so  far  away  but  that  Van  Berg  could  decipher  the 
title,  "  Misjudged,"  and  having  made  out  the  signifi 
cant  word,  its  letters  grew  luminous  like  the  diamonds 
in  her  hair. 

Never  before  had  he  been  so  impressed  by  her 
beauty,  and  yet  there  was  an  element  in  it  which 
made  him  shiver  with  a  dread  he  could  not  explain  to 
himself.  He  was  surprised  and  shocked  to  find  how 
pale  and  wan  her  face  had  become,  but  in  every 
severe  marble  curve  of  her  features  he  saw  the  word, 
"  Misjudged."  He  could  now  scarcely  recognize  her 
as  the  blooming  girl  that  he  had  first  seen  in  the  con 
cert  garden.  Suffering,  trouble  of  mind,  was  evident 
ly  the  dark  magician  that  was  thus  transforming  her  ; 
but  why  did  she  suffer  so  deeply  ?  As  she  sat  there 
before  him,  not  only  his  deeper  instincts,  but  his  rea 
son  refused  almost  indignantly  to  associate  her  any 
longer  with  Sibley.  There  was  a  time  when  she 
seemed  akin  to  him  ;  but  now  she  suggested  deep 
trouble,  despair,  death  even,  rather  than  a  gross  bon 
vivant.  Was  she  ill  !  Yes,  evidently,  but  he  doubt 
ed  if  her  malady  had  physical  causes. 

"  What  a  very  strange  toilet  she  has  made  !  "  he 
thought ;  "  simple  and  plain  to  the  last  degree,  and 
yet  singularly  effective  and  striking.  Her  fingers 
were  once  loaded  with  rings,  but  she  has  taken 


DESPERATELY   WOUNDED.  347 

them  all  ofif,  and  now  her  hands  are  as  perfect  as  her 
features.  She  does  not  wear  a  single  ornament,  save 
those  ominous  poniards.  Does  she  mean  to  signify 
by  these  that  she  .is  wounded,  or  that  she  proposes  to 
inflict  wounds  ?  Ye  gods  !  how  strangely,  terribly, 
exasperatingly  beautiful  she  is  !  I  have  certainly  both 
misjudged  and  misunderstood  her." 

These  thoughts  passed  through  his  mind  as  he  stole 
an  occasional  glance  at  their  object,  who  sat  with  her 
profile  towards  him  almost  in  the  line  of  his  vision. 
At  the  same  time  he  was  apparently  listening  to  a 
prosy  and  interminable  story  from  one  of  the  group 
of  which  he  was  a  member.  They  had  been  telling 
anecdotes  of  travel,  and  the  last  speaker's  experience 
was,  like  his  journey,  long  and  uninteresting. 

Van  Berg  soon  observed  that  many  others  besides 
himself  were  observing  Miss  Mayhew.  She  seemed 
to  fascinate,  perplex,  and  trouble  all  who  looked  to 
wards  her.  The  singular  beauty  and  striking  toilet 
might  account,  in  part,  for  the  lingering  glances,  but 
not  for  the  perplexity  and  uneasiness  they  caused.  If 
Ida  had  been  dead  her  features  could  not  have  been 
more  colorless  ;  and  they  had  a  stern,  hard,  desper 
ate  expression  that  was  sadly  out  of  harmony  with 
what  should  be  the  appearance  of  a  happy  young 
girl. 

Her  presence  seemed  to  cause  an  increasing  chill 
and  restraint.  The  healthful  and  normal  minds  of 
those  about  her  grew  vaguely  conscious  of  another 
mind  that  had  been  deeply  moved,  shaken  to  its 
foundations,  and  so  had  become  most  abnormal  and 
dangerous  in  its  impulses. 


343  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

There  is  a  very  general  tendency  both  to  observe 
and  to  shrink  from  that  which  is  unnatural,  and  if 
the  departure  from  what  is  customary  is  shown  in  un 
expected  and  unusual  mental  action,  the  stronger  be 
come  the  uneasiness  and  dread  in  those  who  witness 
it.  All  who  saw  Ida  recognized  that  she  was  not  only 
unlike  herself,  but  unlike  any  one  in  an  ordinary 
state  of  mind,  and  people  who  were  intimate  looked 
at  each  other  significantly,  as  if  to  ask — "  What  is  the 
matter  with  Miss  May  hew  ?  What  is  the  matter  with 
us  all?" 

Were  it  not  that  the  maiden  occasionally  turned  a 
leaf,  in  order  to  keep  up  the  illusion  that  she  was 
reading,  she  might  have  been  a  statue,  so  motion 
less  was  her  form,  and  so  pallid  her  face.  But  she 
felt  that  she  was  perplexing  and  troubling  those  who 
had  wounded  her,  and  the  consciousness  gave  secret 
satisfaction.  Her  past  experience  taught  her  to  ap 
preciate  stage  effect,  and,  since  she  meditated  a  trage 
dy,  she  proposed  that  everything  should  be  as  tragic 
and  blood-curdling  as  possible. 

There  is  usually  but  a  short  step  between  high 
tragedy  and  painful  absurdity,  which  exasperates  us 
while  we  laugh  at  it  ;  but  poor  Ida's  thoughts  were  so 
desperately  dark  and  despairing,  and  her  exquisite 
features,  made  almost  transparent  by  grief  and  fast 
ing,  so  perfectly  interpreted  her  unfeigned  wretched 
ness,  that  even  those  who  knew  her  but  slightly  were 
touched  and  troubled  in  a  way  that  they  could  not  ex 
plain  even  to  themselves. 

Miss  Burton  was  evidently  meditating  how  she 
could  approach  Ida,  who  seemed  encased  in  a  repel- 


DESPEKA  TEL  Y   WO  UNDED. 


349 


lant  atmosphere.  Van  Berg  saw  that  Stanton  looked 
anxious  and  perplexed,  and  that  Mrs.  Mayhew  was 
exceedingly  worried  and  annoyed.  At  last  she  has 
tily  approached  her  daughter  and  whispered, 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  Ida,  what's  the  matter  ?  You 
look  as  if  you  had  gone  into  mourning." 

The  young  lady  glanced  coldly  up  and  said  stonily  : 

"  You  have  at  least  taught  me  to  dress  appropri 
ately." 

"  Nonsense,"  continued  the  mother,  in  a  low,  irrita 
ble  tone.  "  Why  can't  you  cheer  up  and  act  like  other 
people  ?  Don't  you  see  you're  giving  us  all  the 
shivers  ?  " 

She  slowly  swept  the  room  with  her  eyes,  and  saw 
that  not  a  few  curious  glances  were  directed  towards 
her.  Then,  with  bowed  head,  she  glided  from  the 
room  without  a  word. 

Miss  Burton  caught  up  with  her  in  the  hall-way. 
"  You  are  ill,  Miss  Mayhew,"  she  said,  with  gentle 
solicitude. 

"  Yes,"  Ida  replied,  in  the  same  stony,  repellant 
manner;  "  but  you  are  not  a  physician,  Miss  Bur 
ton.  Good  evening."  And  she  went  swiftly  up  to 
her  own  room,  as  if  determined  to  speak  with  no  one 
else  that  evening. 


35O  A  FACE  1LLUM1XEL. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
TEMPTATION'S    VOICE. 

VAN  BERG  had  been  so  near  that  he  could  not 
help  overhearing  Mrs.  Mayhew's  words  which 
had  led  to  the  abrupt  and  silent    departure  of  her 
daughter  from  the  parlor. 

"  There  is  some  misunderstanding  here,"  he 
thought,  "  whose  effects  are  becoming  outrageously 
cruel.  The  poor  girl  was  driven  away  from  the  sup 
per-table,  and  now  she  is  driven  out  of  the  parlor. 
She  has  been  an  anomaly  from  the  moment  I  saw 
her,  and  I  now  mean  to  fathom  the  mystery.  Her 
exquisite  face  indicates  that  she  is  almost  desperate 
from  some  kind  of  trouble.  She  is  becoming  ill — 
she  is  wasting  under  it.  Sibley  would  be  a  fatal  mal 
ady  to  any  respectable  girl,  but  I  must  give  up  all 
pretence  of  skill  at  diagnosis  if  he  is  the  cause  ;  for 
were  her  heart  Set  on  him  why  the  mischief  can't  she 
go  to  him  with  all  her  old  reckless  flippancy?  There 
is  no  need  of  any  elopement,  as  Ik  fears.  She  can 
easily  compel  her  mother  to  go  to  the  city,  and  her 
father  would  have  no  power  to  prevent  the  alliance, 
were  she  bent  upon  it.  I  believe  her  family  misun 
derstand  and  are  wronging  her,  and  I  may  have  occa- 


TEMPTATION'S    VOICE.  351 

sion  to  go  down  on  my  knees  myself,  metaphorically, 
and  ask  her  pardon  for  my  superior  airs." 

These  and  kindred  thoughts  passed  through  his 
mind  as  he  slowly  paced  up  and  down  a  side  piazza 
which  he  often  sought  when  he  wished  to  be  alone. 
Stanton,  having  lost  Miss  Burton  for  the  evening, 
soon  joined  him,  and  threw  himself  dejectedly  into  a 
chair. 

"  Van,"  he  said,  "  I  used  to  be  rather  self-compla 
cent.  I  thought  I  had  learned  to  take  life  so  philo 
sophically  that  I  should  have  a  good  time  as  long  as 
my  health  lasted.  But  to-night  I  feel  as  if  life  were  a 
horribly  heavy  burden  which  I,  an  overladen  jackass, 
must  carry  for  many  a  weary  day.  How  little  we 
know  what  we  are  and  what  is  before  us !  I've  been 
a  fool;  I  am  a  fool  !  " 

"Well,  Ik,"  replied  Van  Berg  with  a  shrug,  "I 
imagine  there  is  a  pair  of  us.  My  reason — all  that's 
decent  in  me — refuses  to  regard  Sibley  as  the  cause 
of  your  cousin's  most  evident  distress.  For  heaven's 
sake  don't  confirm  your  words  of  this  afternoon,  or  I 
shall  feel  like  taking  the  first  train,  in  order  to  escape 
from  the  most  exasperating  paradox  that  ever  contra 
dicted  a  man's  senses." 

"  Van,  you  are  right.  I  am  mortified  with  myself 
beyond  measure,  and  I  am  bitterly  ashamed  that  my 
aunt,  her  own  mother,  should  have  so  grossly  mis 
judged  her.  Sibley,  no  doubt,  is  the  occasion  of  her 
trouble  in  part,  for  she  seems  fairly  to  writhe  under 
the  false  position  in  which  he  has  placed  her  by  lead 
ing  every  one  to  associate  her  name  with  his  ;  but  I 
now  believe  that  she  loathes  and  detests  him  more 


352  A   FACE   1LLUU1XKD 

than  you  or  I  can.  Certainly  no  woman  could  speak 
of  a  man  in  harsher  or  more  scathing  terms  than  she 
spoke  of  him  to-night.  Well,  to  sum  up  the  whole 
miserable  truth,  by  taking  her  mother's  view  for 
granted,  I  made  such  a  mess  of  it  that  I  doubt  if  she 
ever  speaks  civilly  to  either  of  us  again." 

"Why,  was  my  name  mentioned?"  asked  Van 
Berg,  quickly. 

"  Yes,  confound  it  all !  When  things  are  going 
wrong  there  is  a  miserable  fatality  about  them,  and 
the  worst  always  happens.  She  asked  me  point- 
blank  if  you  shared  in  my  estimate  of  her,  and  I  sup 
pose  got  the  impression  you  did." 

"  Well  really,  Stanton,"  said  Van  Berg,  with  some 
irritation,  "  I  think  you  must  have  been  unfortunate 
in  your  language." 

"  Worse  than  unfortunate.  The  whole  blunder  is 
unpardonable.  Still,  do  me  justice.  I  could  not 
answer  her  question  with  a  bald  lie.  And  what 
would  have  been  its  use  ?  How  could  you  explain 
your  bearing  towards  her  at  the  supper  table  ?  Your 
manner  would  have  frozen  Jezebel  herself." 

"  I  was  an  infernal  fool,"  groaned  Van  Berg. 

"It  is  due  to  us  both  I  should  say  that  I  told 
her  you  had  tried  to  form  a  good  opinion  of  her,  and 
very  reluctantly  received  the  view  her  mother  sug 
gested.  I  said,  in  effect,  you  wished  to  think  well  of 
her,  although  she  had  treated  you  so  badly." 

"  Treated  me  badly  !  I  have  treated  her  a  thou 
sandfold  worse.  She,  at  least,  has  never  insulted  me, 
and  I  can  never  forgive  myself  for  the  insult  I  have 
offered  her." 


TEMPTATION'S    VOICE. 


353 


"  Well,  I  hope  to  find  her  in  the  mood  to  accept 
an  apology  in  the  morning,"  said  Stanton. 

"I'm  in  a  confoundedly  awkward  position  to  apolo 
gize,"  growled  Van  Berg;  "any  reference  to  such 
an  affair  will  be  like  another  insult  ;  "  and  the  friends 
parted  in  an  unsatisfactory  state  of  mind  towards 
each  other,  and  especially  towards  themselves. 

But  that  was  a  sad  and  memorable  night  to  Ida 
Mayhew.  She  felt  that  it  might  be  her  last  on  earth  ; 
for  her  dark  purpose  was  rapidly  taking  definite 
form. 

She  was  passing  into  that  unhealthful  condition  of 
mental  excitement,  in  which  the  salutary  restraints 
of  the  physical  nature  lose  their  power.  In  the 
place  of  drowsiness  and  weariness,  she  began  to  ex 
perience  an  unnatural  exaltation  which  would  make 
any  reckless  folly  possible,  if  it  took  the  guise  of 
sublime  and  tragic  action. 

Few  realize  to  what  a  degree  the  mind  can  become 
warped  and  disordered,  even  within  a  brief  time,  by 
trouble  and  the  violation  of  the  laws  of  health  ;.  and 
some,  by  education  and  temperament,  are  peculiarly 
predisposed  to  abnormal  conditions.  Science  has 
taught  men  how  to  build  ships  with  water-tight 
compartments,  so  that  if  disaster  crushes  in  on  one 
side,  the  other  parts  may  save  from  sinking.  There 
are  fortunate  people  who  are  built  on  the  same 
safe  principle.  They  have  wealth,  or  the  ability  to 
win  wealth,  strong  family  ties,  and  genuine  friends. 
They  have  cultivated  minds,  and  varied  resources 
in  artistic  and  scientific  pursuits.  Above  all  else, 
they  may  have  faith  in  God  and  a  better  life  to 


354 


A    FACF.    ILLUMINED. 


come  ;  such  possessions  are  like  the  compartments 
of  a  modern  ship.  Few  disasters  can  destroy  them 
all,  and  in  the  loss  of  one  or  more  the  soul  is  kept 
afloat  by  the  others. 

But  it  would  seem  that  poor  Ida's  character  had 
been  constructed  with  fatal  simplicity,  and  when  the 
cold  waves  of  trouble  rushed  in  there  was  nothing  to 
prevent  her  from  sinking  beneath  them  like  a  stone. 
Her  mind  was  uncultivated,  and  art,  science,  litera 
ture  offered  her  as  yet  no  resources,  no  pursuits. 
She  had  a  woman's  heart  that  might  have  been  filled 
with  sustaining  love,  but  in  its  place  had  come  a 
sudden  and  icy  flood  of  disappointment  and  despair. 
She  loved,  with  all  the  passion  and  simplicity  of  a  nar 
row,  yet  earnest  nature,  the  man  who  had  awakened 
the  woman  within  her,  and  he,  in  return,  she  believed, 
would  never  give  her  aught  save  contempt.  She 
naturally  thought  that  she  had  been  degraded  in  his 
estimation  beyond  all  ordinary  means  of  redemption  ; 
therefore,  in  her  desperation  and  despair,  she  was 
ready  to  take  an  extraordinary  method  of  compelling 
at  least  his  respect. 

Moreover,  Ida  was  impatient  and  impetuous  by 
nature.  She  had  a  large  capability  for  action,  but 
little  for  endurance.  It  would  be  almost  impossible 
for  her  to  reach  woman's  loftiest  heroism,  and  sit 
"  like  Patience  on  a  monument,  smiling  at  grief."  It 
would  be  her  disposition  rather  to  rush  forward, 
and  dash  herself  against  an  adverse  fate,  meeting  it 
even  more  than  half  way.  All  the  influences  of  her 
life  had  tended  to  develop  imperiousness,  wilfulness, 
and  now  her  impulse  was  to  enter  a  protest  against 


TEMPTATION'S    VOICE.  355 

her  hard  lot  that  was  as  passionate  and  reckless  as  it 
was  impotent. 

Apart  from  her  supreme  wish  to  fill  Van  Berg  with 
regret,  and  awaken  in  him  something  like  respect, 
the  thought  of  dragging  on  a  wretched  existence 
through  the  indefinite  years  to  come  was  intolerable. 
The  color  had  utterly  faded  out  of  life,  and  left  it 
bald  and  repulsive  to  the  last  degree. 

Fashionable  dissipation  promised  her  nothing. 
She  had  often  tasted  this,  to  the  utmost  limit  of  pro 
priety,  and  was  well  aware  that  the  gay  whirl  had 
nothing  new  to  offer,  unless  she  plunged  into  the  mad 
excitement  of  a  life  which  is  as  brief  as  it  is  vile.  It 
was  to  her  credit  that  death  seemed  preferable  to 
this.  It  was  largely  due  to  her  defective  training 
and  limited  experience,  that  a  useful,  innocent  life, 
even  though  it  promised  to  be  devoid  of  happiness, 
was  so  utterly  repulsive  that  she  was  ready  to  throw 
it  away  in  impatient  disgust. 

As  yet  she  was  incapable  of  Jennie  Burton's  divine 
philosophy  of  "  pleasing  not  "  herself.  He  who  "  gave 
his  life  for  others  "  was  but  a  name  at  the  pronuncia 
tion  of  which,  in  the  Service,  she  was  accustomed  to 
bow  profoundly,  but  to  whom,  in  her  heart,  she  had 
never  bowed  or  offered  a  genuine  prayer.  Religion 
seemed  to  her  a  sort  of  fashion  which  differed  with  the 
tastes  of  different  people.  She  was  a  practical  atheist. 

It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  permit  a  child  to  grow  up 
ignorant  of  God,  and  of  the  sacred  principles  of  duty 
which  should  be  inwrought  in  the  conscience,  and  en 
forced  by  the  most  vital  considerations  of  well-being, 
both  for  this  world  and  the  world  to  come. 


3^6  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

But  Ida  Mayhew  thought  not  of  God  or  duty,  but 
only  of  her  thwarted,  unhappy  life,  from  which  she 
shrank  weakly  and  selfishly,  assuring  herself  that  she 
could  not  and  would  not  endure  it.  In  her  father  she 
saw  only  increasing  humiliation  ;  in  her  mother,  one 
for  whom  she  had  but  little  affection  and  less  respect, 
and  who  would  of  necessity  irritate  the  wounds  that 
time  might  slowly  heal,  could  she  live  in  an  atmos 
phere  of  delicate,  unspoken  sympathy  ;  in  herself, 
one  whom  she  now  believed  to  be  so  ignorant  and 
faulty  that  the  man  she  loved  had  turned  away  in  dis 
gust  on  finding  her  out.  If  all  this  were  not  bad 
enough,  unforeseen  and  unfortunate  circumstances, 
even  more  than  her  own  folly,  had  brought  about  a 
humiliation  from  which  she  felt  she  could  never  recov 
er.  In  her  blind,  desperate  effort  to  hide  her  passion 
from  the  man  she  loved,  she  had  made  it  appear  that 
she  was  infatuated  with  the  man  she  loathed,  and  who 
had  shown  himself  such  a  contemptible  villain  that 
her  association  with  him  was  the  scandal  of  the  house. 
If  her  own  mother  and  cousin  could  believe  that  she 
was  ready  to  throw  herself  away  for  the  sake  of  such 
a  wretch,  what  must  the  people  of  the  hotel  think  ? 
What  kind  of  a  story  would  go  abroad  among  her  ac 
quaintances  in  the  city?  She  fairly  cringed  and 
writhed  at  the  thought  of  it  all. 

It  seemed  to  the  tortured  and  morbidly  excited 
girl  that  there  was  but  one  way  out  of  her  troubles, 
and  dark  and  dreadful  as  was  that  path,  she  thought 
it  could  lead  to  nothing  so  painful  as  that  from  which 
she  would  escape. 

But  after  all,  her  chief  incentive  to  the  fatal  act  was 


TEMPTATIONS    VOICE. 


357 


the  hope  of  securing  Van  Berg's  respect,  and  of  im 
planting  herself  in  his  heart  as  an  undying  memory, 
even  though  a  sad  and  terfible  one.  With  her  ideas 
of  the  fitness  of  things  this  would  be  a  strong  tempta 
tion  at  best ;  but  the  present  conditions  of  her  life, 
as  we  have  seen,  so  far  from  restraining,  added  greatly 
to  the  temptation. 

And,  as  has  been  said,  while  the  act  seemed  a 
stern  and  dreadful  alternative  to  worse  evils,  it  was 
not  revolting  to  her.  She  had  seen  so  many  of 
her  favorite  heroines  in  fiction  and  actresses  on 
the  stage  "  shuffle  off  the  mortal  coil"  with  the 
most  appropriate  expressions  and  in  the  most  be 
coming  toilets  and  attitudes,  'that  her  perverted  and 
melodramatic  taste  led  her  to  believe  that  Van  Berg 
would  regard  her  crime  as  a  sublime  vindication  of 
her  honor. 

Her  only  task  now,  therefore,  was  to  frame  a  letter 
that  would  best  accomplish  this  end,  and  at  the  same 
time  wring  his  soul  with  unavailing  regret. 

But  she  was  too  sincere  and  sad  to  write  diffusely 
and  vaguely.  After  a  few  moments'  thought  she  rap 
idly  traced  the  following  lines  : 

"  MR.  VAN  BERG  : 

"  You  first  saw  me  at  a  concert,  and  your  judgment  of  me  was  cor 
rect,  though  severe.  Your  eyes  have  since  been  very  cold  and  critical. 
I  have  followed  your  exploring  glances,  and  have  found  that  I  am,  in 
deed,  ignorant  and  imperfect — that  I  was  like  the  worm-eaten  rose  bud 
that  you  tossed  contemptuously  down  where  it  would  be  trampled  under 
foot.  Seldom  is  that  unfortunate  little  emblem  of  myself  out  of  my 
thoughts.  If  I  dared  to  appeal  to  God  I  would  say  that  he  knows  that 
I  would  have  tried  to  bloom  into  a  better  life,  even  though  imperfect  y, 
if  some  one  had  only  thought  it  worth  the  while  to  show  me  how.  It  is 


358 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


too  late  now.     Like  my  counterpart,  that  you  threw  away,  I  shall  soon 
be  forgotten  dust. 

"  Although  your  estimate  has  been  so  harsh,  I  will  not  dispute  it. 
Circumstances  have  been  against  me  from  the  first,  and  my  own  foil)  has 
added  whatever  was  wanting  to  confirm  your  unfavorable  opinion.  But 
to-day  your  thoughts  wronged  me  cruelly.  You  have  slain  all  hope  and 
self-respect.  I  do  not  fee.l  that  I  can  live  after  seeing  an  honorable 
man  look  at  me  as  you  looked  this  evening.  You  believed  me  capable 
of  flying  to  the  man  who  attempted  your  life — who  insulted  an  orphan 
girl.  You  looked  at  me,  not  as  a  lady,  but  an  object  beneath  contempt. 
This  is  a  humiliation  that  I  cannot  and  will  not  survive.  When  you 
know  that  I  have  sought  death  rather  than  the  villain  with  whom  you 
are  associating  me,  you  may  think  of  me  more  favorably.  Possibly  the 
memory  of  Ida  Mayhew  may  lead  you,  when  again  you  see  a  worm- 
eaten-bud,  to  kill  the  destroyer  and  help  the  flower  to  bloom  as  well 
as  it  can.  But  now,  like  my  emblem,  I  have  lost  my  one  chance  to 
bloom." 


The  night  was  now  far  spent.  Her  mother,  having 
been  refused  admittance,  had  fumed  and  fretted  her 
self  to  sleep.  The  house  was  very  still.  She  opened 
her  window  and  looked  out.  Clouds  obscured  the 
stars,  and  it  was  exceedingly  dark. 

"  The  long  night  to  which  I'm  going  will  be  darker 
still,"  sighed  the  unhappy  girl.  "Well,  I  will  live 
one  more  day.  To-morrow  I  will  go  out  and  sit  in 
the  sunlight  once  more.  I  wish  I  could  go  now,  for 
already  I  seem  to  feel  the  chill  of  death.  Oh,  how 
cold  I  shall  be  by  this  time  to-morrow  night !  " 

She  shuddered  as  she  closed  the  window. 

After  pacing  her  room  a  few  moments,  she  ex 
claimed,  recklessly, 

"  I  must  sleep — I  must  get  through  with  the  time 
until  I  bring  time  to  an  end,"  and  she  dropped  a 
powerful  opiate  into  a  glass. 


TEMPTATION*  S   VOICE, 


Holding  it  up  for  a  moment  with  a  smile  on  her  fair 
young  face  that  was  terrible  beyond  words,  she  said 
slowly, 

mH  After  all  it's  only  taking  a  little  more,  and  then  — 
no  waking." 


360  <<*   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

VOICES   OF     NATURE. 

T>EFORE  retiring,  Ida  had  unfastened  her  door, 
JD  so  that  her  mother,  finding  her  sleeping,  might 
leave  her  undisturbed  as  late  as  possible  the  follow 
ing  day  ;  and  the  sun  was  almost  in  mid-heaven  be 
fore  she  began  slowly  to  revive  from  her  lethargy. 

But  as  her  stupor  departed  she  became  conscious 
of  such  acute  physical  and  mental  suffering  that  she 
almost  wished  she  had  carried  out  her  purpose  the 
night  before.  Her  headache  was  only  equalled  by 
her  heartache,  and  her  wronged,  overtaxed  nervous 
system  was  jangling  with  torturing  discord.  But  with 
the  persistence  of  a  simple  and  positive  nature  she  re 
solved  to  carry  out  the  tragic  programme  that  she 
had  already  arranged. 

She  was  glad  to  find  herself  alone.  Her  mother, 
with  her  usual  sagacity,  had  concluded  that  she  would 
sleep  off  her  troubles  as  she  often  had  before,  and  so 
left  her  to  herself. 

The  poor,  lost  child  made  some  pathetic  attempts 
to  put  her  little  house  in  order.  She  destroyed  all 
her  letters.  She  arranged  her  drawers  with  many 
sudden  rushes  of  tears  as  various  articles  called  up 
memories  of  earlier  and  happier  days.  Among  other 


VOICES   Of  XATL'RE.  361 

things  she  came  across  a  little  birthday  present  that 
her  father  had  given  her  when  she  was  but  six  years 
of  age,  and  she  vividly  recalled  the  happy  child  she 
was  that  day. 

"  Oh,  that  I  had  died  then  !  "  she  sobbed.  "  What 
a  wretched  failure  my  life  has  been  !  Never  was 
there  a  fitter  emblem  than  the  imperfect  flower  he 
threw  away.  I  wish  I  could  find  the  poor,  withered, 
trampled  thing,  and  that  he  might  find  it  in  my  hand 
with  his  letter." 

She  wrote  a  farewell  to  her  father  that  was  inex 
pressibly  sad,  in  which  she  humbly  asked  his  forgive 
ness,  and  entreated  him,  as  her  dying  wish,  to  cease 
destroying  himself  with  liquor. 

"But  it  is  of  no  use,"  she  moaned.  "He  has 
lost  hope  and  courage  like  myself,  and  one  can't 
bear  trouble  for  which  there  is  no  remedy.  I'm  afraid 
my  act  will  only  make  him  do  worse  ;  but  1  can't 
help  it." 

To  her  mother  she  merely  wrote, ' '  Good-by .  Think 
of  me  as  well  as  you  can  till  I  am  forgotten." 

Her  thoughts  of  her  mother  were  very  bitter,  for 
she  felt  that  she  had  been  neglected  as  a  child,  and 
permitted  to  grow  up  so  faulty  and  superficial  that 
she  repelled  the  man  her  beauty  might  have  aided  her 
in  winning  ;  and  it  was  chiefly  through  her  mother 
that  her  last  bitter  and  unendurable  humiliation  had 
come. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  bustled  in  from  her  drive  with  Stan- 
ton,  just  before  dinner,  and  commenced  volubly  : 

"  Glad  to  see  you  up  and  looking  so  much  better." 
(Ida  knew  she  was  almost  ghastly  pale  from  the 
16 


362  A   PACE  ILLUMINED. 

effects  of  the  opiate  and  her  distress,  but  she  recog 
nized  her  mother's  tactics.)  "  Come  now,  go  down 
with  me  and  make  a  good  dinner  ;  then  a  drive 
this  afternoon,  to  which  Ik  has  invited  you,  and  you 
will  look  like  your  old  beautiful  self." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  look  like  my  old  self,"  said  Ida, 
coldly. 

"  Who  in  the  world  ever  looked  better  ?" 

"  Every  one  who  had  a  cultivated  mind  and  a  clear 
conscience." 

"  I  declare,  Ida,  you've  changed  so  since  you  came 
to  the  country  that  I  can't  understand  you  at  all." 

"  Do  not  try  to  any  longer,  mother,  for  you  never 
will." 

"  Won't  you  go  down  to  dinner  ?  " 

"  No." 

"Why  not?" 

"  I  don't  wish  to,  for  one  thing  ;  and  I'm  too  ill, 
for  another.  Send  me  up  something,  if  it's  not  too 
much  trouble." 

"  I'm  going  to  have  a  doctor  see  you  this  very 
afternoon,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew,  emphatically,  as  she 
left  the  room. 

To  do  her  justice  she  did  send  up  a  very  nice  din 
ner  to  Ida  before  eating  her  own.  As  far  as  doctors 
and  dinners  were  concerned,  she  could  do  her  whole 
duty  in  an  emergency. 

"  Isn't  Ida  coming  down?"  whispered  Stanton  to 
his  aunt. 

"  No.  I  can't  make  her  out  at  all,  and  she  looks 
dreadfully.  You  must  go  for  a  doctor,  right  after 
dinner." 


VOICES   OF  NATURE.  363 

Van  Berg  could  not  hear  their  words,  but  their  om 
inous  looks  added  greatly  to  his  disquietude.  He 
had  been  too  ill  at  ease  to  seek  even  Miss  Burton's 
society  during  the  morning,  and  had  spent  the  time 
in  making  a  sketch  of  Ida  as  she  stood  in  the  doorway 
before  entering  the  parlor  the  previous  evening. 

But  Jennie  Burton  did  not  seem  to  feel  or  resent  his 
neglect  in  the  slightest  degree.  Indeed,  her  thoughts, 
like  his  own,  were  apparently  engrossed  with  the  one 
whose  chair  had  been  vacant  so  often  of  late,  and 
who,  when  present,  seemed  so  unlike  her  former  self. 

"  I  fear  your  daughter  is  more  seriously  indisposed 
than  you  think,"  she  said  anxiously  to  Mrs.  Mayhew. 

"  I'm  going  to  take  Ida  in  hand,"  replied  the  mat 
ter-of-fact  lady.  "  She  is  ill — far  more  so  than  she'll 
admit.  I'm  going  to  have  the  doctor  at  once  and 
put  her  under  a  course  of  treatment." 

.  "Curse  it  all  !  "  thought  Van  Berg,  "  that  is  just 
the  trouble.  She  has  been  under  a  course  of  treat 
ment  that  would  make  any  woman  ill,  save  her 
mother,  and  I'm  inclined  to  think  that  I  was  the  veri 
est  quack  of  them  all  in  my  treatment." 

"  I  wish  she  would  let  me  call  upon  her  this  after 
noon,"  said  Miss  Burton,  gently. 

"  Oh,  I  think  she'll  be  glad  to  see  you  !— at  least 
she  ought  to  be ;  "  but  it  was  evident  that  Mrs.  May- 
hew  was  at  last  beginning  to  grow  very  anxious,  and 
she  made  a  simpler  meal  than  usual.  Stanton,  in  his 
solicitude,  hastened  through  his  dinner,  and  started 
at  once  for  the  physician  who  usually  attended  the 
guests  of  the  house. 

Ida,  in  the  meantime,  had  forced  herself  to  eat  a  lit- 


364  A   FACE  ILLUMINED.    ' 

tie  of  the  food  sent  to  her,  and  then  informing  the 
woman  who  had  charge  of  their  floor  that  she  was 
going  out  for  a  walk,  stole  down  and  out  unperceived, 
and  soon  gained  a  secluded  path  that  led  into  an  ex 
tensive  tract  of  woodland. 

Stanton  brought  the  doctor  promptly,  but  no  pa 
tient  could  be  found.  All  that  could  be  learned  was 
that  "  Miss  Mayhew  had  gone  for  a  walk." 

41  Her  case  cannot  be  very  critical,"  the  physician 
remarked,  smilingly  ;  "  I  will  call  again." 

Stanton  and  his  aunt  looked  at  each  other  in  a  way 
that  proved  the  case  was  beginning  to  trouble  them 
seriously. 

"  She  knew  the  doctor  would  be  here,"  said  Mrs. 
Mayhew. 

"  I  fear  her  complaint  is  one  that  the  doctors  can't 
help,  and  that  she  knows  it,"  replied  the  young  man, 
gloomily.  "  But  you  seem  to  know  less  about  her  than 
any  one  else.  I  shall  try  to  find  her." 

But  he  did  not  succeed. 

"Miss  Burton,"  said  Van  Berg,  after  dinner,  "  I 
wish  you  would  call  on  Miss  Mayhew.  I  think  she  is 
greatly  in  need  of  a  little  of  your  inimitable  tact  and 
skill.  '  A  wounded  spirit  who  can  bear  ? '  And  in  such 
an  emergency,  you  are  the  best  surgeon  I  know 
of.  I  think  some  of  us  wounded  her  deeply  and  un- 
pardonably  by  continuing  to  associate  her  with  Sib- 
ley,  after  he  revealed  what  an  unmitigated  rascal  he 
was.  Strong  as  appearances  were  against  her,  I  feel 
that  I  cannot  forgive  myself  that  I  took  anything  for 
granted  in  a  case  like  that." 

"  I  am  glad,"  she  answered,  "  that  you  have  come 


VOICES  OF  NATURE.  36- 

to  my  own  conclusion,  that  Miss  Mayhew,  with  all 
her  faults,  is  too  good  a  girl  to  be  guilty  of  a  passion 
for  a  man  like  Sibley.  If  she  regards  him  in  any 
such  way  as  I  do,  I  do  not  wonder  that  it  has  made 
her  ill  to  be  so  misjudged.  I  must  plead  guilty  also 
to  having  wronged  her  in  my  thoughts.  While  I  try 
to  exercise  the  broadest  chanty,  my  calling,  as  a 
teacher,  has  brought  me  in  contact  with  so  many  girls 
that — through  immaturity  and  innate  foolishness — 
are  guilty  of  conduct  that  taxes  one's  faith  in  human 
nature  severely.  Goodish  sort  of  girls  are  sometimes 
infatuated  with  very  bad  men.  I  suppose  it  is  evident 
to  all  that  Miss  Mayhew's  early  and,  indeed,  present 
influences  are  sadly  against  her;  but  unfortunate  as 
have  been  her  associations  of  late,  I  am  coming  to  the 
belief  that,  however  faulty  she  may  be,  she  is  not 
naturally  either  silly  or  weak.  But  my  acquaintance 
with  her  is  very  slight,  and  I  must  confess  I  do  not 
understand  her  very  well.  For  some  reason  she 
shuns  me  and  has  evidently  disliked  me  from  the 
first." 

"  I  don't  understand  her  at  all,"  said  Van  Berg,  in 
a  tone  that  proved  him  greatly  annoyed  with  him 
self.  "  I  have  thought  that  I  had  sounded  the  shal 
low  depths  of  her  character  several  times,  and  then 
some  new  and  perplexing  phase  would  present  itself, 
and  put  me  all  at  sea  again.  It  may  seem  ludicrous 
to  you  that  her  beauty  should  irritate  me  so  greatly 
because  of  its  incongruous  associations." 

"Not  at  all,"  she  replied,  with  a  little  nod.  "I 
was  not  long  in  discovering  that  you  were  a  pagan, 
and  that  beauty  was  your  divinity." 


366  A    FACE  JLLUMIXKD. 


n  & 


"  Correct  in  all  respects  save  the  divinity,"  he 
answered  promptly ;  and  he  would  have  said  more, 
but  she  passed  into  the  parlor  among  the  other 
guests. 

Ida  found  herself  too  weak  and  unnerved  to  walk 
far,  but  she  discovered  a  secluded  nook  into  which 
the  sunlight  streamed  with  a  grateful  warmth  ;  for 
although  the  day  was  warm,  she  shivered  with  cold 
as  if  the  chill  in  her  heart  had  diffused  itself  even  to 
her  hands  and  feet.  Dense  shrubbery  hid  her  from 
the  path  along  which  she  saw  Stanton  pass  in  his 
fruitless  quest. 

For  a  long  time  she  sat  in  dreary  apathy,  almost 
as  motionless  as  the  mossy  rock  beneath  her,  and 
was  conscious  only  of  her  throbbing  forehead  and 
aching  heart.  Gradually,  however,  nature's  vital 
touch  began  to  revive  her.  The  sunlight  warmed 
and  tranquillized  the  exquisite  form  that  had  been 
entering  its  shuddering  protest  against  the  chill  and 
corruption  of  the  grave.  The  south  wind,  laden  with 
fresh  woodland  odors,  fanned  her  cheeks,  and  whis 
pered  that  there  were  flowers  blooming  that  she  could 
not  see,  and  that  the  future  also  might  reveal  joys  now 
hidden  and  unknown,  if  she  would  only  be  patient. 
Every  rustling  leaf  that  fluttered  in  the  gale,  but  did 
not  fall,  called  to  her  with  its  tiny  voice  :  "  Cling  to 
your  place,  as  we  do,  till  the  frost  of  age  or  the 
blight  of  disease  brings  the  end  in  God's  own  time 
and  way."  A  partridge  with  her  brood  rustled  by 
along  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  the  poor  girl  im 
agined  she  saw  in  the  parent  bird,  as  she  led  forward 
her  plump  little  bevy,  the  pride  and  complacency  of 


VOICES   OF  NATURE,  367 

a  happy  motherhood,  which  now  would  never  be 
hers  ;  and  from  the  depths  of  her  woman's  heart 
came  nature's  protest.  Then  her  heavy  eyes  were 
extracted  by  the  sport  of  two  gray  squirrels  that  were 
racing  to  the  top  of  one  tree,  scrambling  down 
another,  falling  and  catching  again,  and  tumbling 
over  each  other  in  their  mad  excitement.  She  felt 
that,  at  her  age,  their  exuberant  life  and  enjoyment 
should  be  a  type  of  her  own,  but  their  wild,  innocent 
fun,  in  contrast  with  her  despair,  became  so  unendura 
ble  that  she  sprang  up  and  frightened  them  away. 

But  after  she  was  quiet  they  soon  returned,  bark- 
iiig  vociferously,  and  sporting  with  their  old  abandon. 
It  was  not  long  since  they  had  left  the  nest  in  the  old 
hemlock  tree,  and  they  were  still  like  Ida,  before  she 
had  learned  that  there  was  anything  in  the  world 
that  could  harm  her.  Other  wild  creatures  flew  or 
scampered  by,  some  stopping  to  look  at  her  with 
their  bright,  quick  eyes,  as  if  wondering  why  she 
was  so  still  and  sad.  The  woods  seemed  full  of  joy 
ous  midsummer  life,  and  Ida  sighed  : 

"  Innocent,  happy  little  things  ;  but  if  they  knew 
what  was  in  my  heart,  they  would  be  so  frightened 
they  could  scarcely  creep  away  to  hide." 

Then,  with  a  sudden  rush  of  passionate  grief,  she 
cried : 

"  Oh,  why  cannot  I  live  and  be  happy,  too  ?  "  and 
she  sobbed  till  she  lay  exhausted  on  the  mossy  rock. 
Whether  she  had  swooned,  or  from  weakness  had 
become  unconscious,  she  did  not  know,  when,  consid 
erably  later,  she  roused  herself  from  what  seemed 
like  a  heavy  and  unrefreshing  sleep.  Her  dress  was 


368  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

damp  with  dew,  the  sun  had  sunk  so  low  as  to  fill 
the  forest  with  a  sombre  shade  ;  the  happy  life  that 
had  sported  around  her  was  hushed  and  hidden, 
and  the  wind  now  sighed  mournfully  through  the 
trees.  Gloom  and  darkening  shadows  had  taken  tlte 
place  of  the  light  and  joyousness  she  first  had  seen. 
In  the  face  and  voices  of  nature,  as  in  those  of 
earthly  friends,  the  changes  are  often  so  great  that 
we  are  tempted  to  ask  in  dismay,  are  they — can  they 
be  the  same  ? 

She  was  stiff  and  cold  as  she  rose  from  her  rocky 
couch,  but  she  wearily  turned  her  face  towards  the 
hotel,  muttering,  as  she  plodded  heavily  along, 

"The  little  people  of  the  woods  are  happy  while 
they  can  be,  as  I  was,  but  the  sportsman's  gun,  or 
the  hawk,  or  winter's  cold,  will  soon  bring  to  them 
bitter  pain,  and  death.  Their  brief  day  will  soon  be 
over, as  mine  is." 

"  Ah,  the  sun  is  sinking  behind  that  cloud,"  she 
said,  in  a  low:  tone,  as  she  came  out  into  the  open 
fields.  "  I  shall  not  see  it  again  ;  it  will  not  be  able  to 
warm  me  to-morrow  ;  "  and  with  a  slight  gesture  of 
farewell,  she  continued  on  her  way  with  bowed  head. 


A    GOOD  MAN  SPEAKS.  369 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

A   GOOD    MAN    SPEAKS. 

AS  Ida  approached  the  hotel,  Van  Berg  and  Stan- 
ton  saw  her,  and  the  latter  hastened  down  the 
steps  to  join  her. 

"Why,  Ida  !"  he  exclaimed,  "where  have  you  been? 
I've  searched  for  you  high  and  low." 

"  You  had  no  right  to  do  so,  sir,"  she  said  coldly, 
as  she  passed  on. 

"Wait  a  moment,  Ida,  please.  I  wish  to  speak 
with  you — to  ask  your  pardon — to  apologize  in  the 
strongest  terms." 

She  would  not  break  again  her  ominous  silence, 
but  continued  on  with  bowed  head,  up  the  steps,  and 
through  the  hall.  Stanton,  to  save  appearances  be 
fore  the  guests  who  were  near,  walked  at  her  side, 
but  her  manner  chilled  and  embarrassed  him  so  great 
ly,  that  only  as  she  was  about  to  enter  her  room  did 
he  again  address  her,  and  now  entreatingly : 

"  Ida,  won't  you  speak  to  me  ?  " 

"No!"  was  her  stern,  brief  response  ;  and  she 
locked  her  door  against  him. 

"  Van,"  said  Stanton,  gloomily,  "  I'd  give  a  year's 
income  if  I  had  not  spoken  to  my  cousin  as  I  did  last 
night.  She'll  never  forgive  me.  It  seems  as  if  my 
1 6* 


370  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

words  had  turned  her  into  ice,  she  is  so  cold  and  calm  ; 
and  yet  her  eyes  were  red  with  weeping.  I  have 
strange  misgivings  about  the  girl." 

"  Yes,  Ik,"  said  the  artist,  gloomily,  "  we  have 
both  made  an  unpardonable  blunder.  If  Miss  Bur 
ton  cannot  thaw  her  out,  I  shall  not  dare  to  try." 

"  With  her  usual  perversity,"  replied  Stanton,  u  she 
dislikes  Miss  Burton,  and  I  doubt  if  she  will  listen  to 
her." 

"  I  have  great  faith  in  her  tact  and  genuine  good 
will.  It  was  wonderful  how  quickly  she  brought  Mr. 
Mayhew  under  her  genial  spells.  She  has  promised  to 
see  your  cousin  this  evening." 

"  I'm  sorry,"  said  Stanton,  gloomily,  "  that  it 
should  have  been  at  your  request  rather  than  mine. 
But  I  suppose  your  wishes  are  becoming  omnipotent 
with  her." 

"  No,  Ik  ;  I  regret  to  say  that  they  weigh  with  her 
only  as  those  of  a  friend,"  was  Van  Berg's  quiet  re 
sponse. 

"  Well,  well,  Van,  bear  with  me,  for  I'm  in  a 
devil  of  a  scrape." 

Even  Miss  Burton's  efforts  could  not  brighten  the 
clouded  faces  that  gathered  at  the  supper-table.  In 
truth,  her  attempts  were  brief  and  fitful,  for  she 
seemed  absorbed  in  thought  herself.  She  heard 
Mrs.  Mayhew  whisper  to  Stanton, 

"  If  I  were  a  perfect  stranger  she  could  not  keep 
me  at  a  greater  distance.  I  can  do  nothing  with  her 
or  for  her." 

To  their  surprise,  Ida  quietly  walked  in  and  took 
her  place.  Her  face  was  very  grave  and  very  pale  ; 


A    GOOD   MAN  SPEAKS.  37! 

the  traces  of  her  grief  were  still  apparent,  and  they 
caused  in  Van  Berg  the  severest  compunction.  She 
was  now  dressed  richly,  but  plainly  and  unobtrusive 
ly.  Her  manner  was  quiet  and  self-possessed,  but 
there  was  an  expression  of  desperate  trouble  in  her 
eyes  that  soon  filled  Van  Berg  with  a  strong  and  in 
creasing  uneasiness.  She  returned  his  bow  politely, 
but  distantly.  Poor  Stanton  scarcely  dared  to  look 
towards  her.  At  supper,  on  the  previous  evening,  he 
had  taken  no  pains  to  conceal  his  contempt  and  dis 
pleasure  ;  now  he  was  unable  to  hide  his  embarrass 
ment  and  fear.  As  in  the  parlor  on  the  previous 
evening  so  now  again,  there  was  an  element  in  Ida 
Mayhew's  appearance  or  in  herself  that  caused  deep 
disquietude. 

"  I'm  very  glad,  Ida,  you've  changed  your  mind 
and  come  down,"  began  Mrs.  Mayhew,  volubly. 

"  I  have  not  changed  my  mind,"  she  replied,  with 
such  sad,  stern  emphasis  that  they  all  involuntarily 
looked  at  her  for  a  moment. 

Poor  Mrs.  Mayhew  was  so  quenched  and  depressed 
that  she  did  not  venture  to  speak  again. 

Only  Miss  Burton  was  able  to  maintain  her  self- 
possession  and  tact,  and  she  was  intently  but  unob 
trusively  studying  Miss  Mayhew.  Her  college-life 
had  made  her  acquainted  with  so  many  strange  fem 
inine  problems  that  she  had  the  nerve  and  experience 
of  a  veteran,  but  she  could  not  penetrate  the  dark 
mystery  in  which  Ida  had  now  shrouded  herself.  Re 
solving,  however,  that  she  would  not  succumb  to  the 
chill  and  restraint  that  paralyzed  the  others,  she  per 
sisted  in  conversing  with  her  in  simple,  natural  tones. 


3/2 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


Ida  replied  in  perfect  courtesy  and  not  with  unne 
cessary  brevity,  but  if  her  words  were  polished,  they 
were  also  as  cold  and  hard  as  ice.  Nothing  that  Miss 
Burton  said  could  bring  the  glimmer  of  a  smile  athwart 
her  features  that  were  growing  so  thin  and  transparent 
that  even  an  approach  to  a  pleasant  thought  would 
have  lighted  them  up  with  .a  momentary  gleam.  Miss 
Burton  found  her  task  a  difficult  one. 

"  She  affected  me  as  strangely,"  she  afterwards 
said  to  Van  Berg,  "as  if  a  dead  maiden  were  sitting 
at  my  side,  but  had  still,  by  some  horrible  mystery, 
the  power  of  speech." 

As  for  Van  Berg,  he  had  hitherto  supposed  that 
his  quiet,  well-bred  ease  would  be  equal  to  every 
social  emergency,  but  he  now  found  himself  tongue- 
tied  and  embarrassed  to  the  last  degree.  He  could 
not  speak  to  the  woman  whom  he  felt  he  had  so 
deeply  wronged  in  his  thoughts  and  manner,  and 
who  was  also  aware  of  the  fact.  He  felt  that  he  had 
no  right  to  speak  to  her  until  he  had  first  asked  and 
secured  her  forgiveness.  This  could  not  be  done 
in  public,  and  he  greatly  doubted  whether  she  ever 
would  pardon  him.  As  a  chivalric  man  of  honor, 
he  was  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  the  insult  he 
had  unwittingly  offered  to  the  maiden  opposite  him, 
who  now  appeared  as  if  mortally  wounded.  Be 
yond  a  few  forced  remarks  to  Stanton  and  Miss  Bur 
ton,  he  made  a  show  of  eating  his  supper  in  silence. 
But  he  longed  to  escape  from  his  present  ordeal,  and 
resolved  to  leave  the  table  as  soon  as  appearances  per 
mitted. 

One  thing  in  Ida's  manner  perplexed  him  greatly. 


A    GOOD   MAN  S PEAK'S.  373 

She  now  looked  at  him  as  if  he  were  an  object,  scru 
pling  not  to  meet  his  eye  with  her  strange,  unwaver 
ing  gaze.  There  was  nothing  of  the  haughty  indif 
ference  which  he  had  manifested  the  evening  before 
in  her  occasional  glances.  She  rather  looked  as  one 
who  is  trying  to  fix  an  object  in  his  memory  that 
he  may  carry  an  accurate  picture  of  it  away  with 
him. 

The  thought  crossed  his  mind  more  than  once, 
"  We  have  wakened  our  Undine's  sleeping  mind  with 
a  vengeance,  but  have  jostled  it  so  rudely  that  I  fear 
the  frail  article  is  hopelessly  shattered." 

Miss  Burton  tried  once  more  to  make  the  conver 
sation  general,  but  her  effort  ended  rather  disas 
trously. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  "I've  been  reading  an 
essay  this  afternoon  in  which  the  writer  tries  to  prove 
that  science  has  done  more  for  humanity  than  art  and 
religion  combined.  Now  I  suppose  you  would  be  in 
clined  to  take  the  same  ground  in  regard  to  art  that 
I  ought  in  respect  to  religion." 

Van  Berg  was  about  to  reply,  when  his  attention 
was  caught  by  a  vivid  gleam  in  the  face  of  Ida,  who 
looked  up  as  if  she  wished  to  speak. 

"  I  think  Miss  Mayhew  has  an  opinion  on  this  sub 
ject,"  he  said,  with  a  bow. 

She  looked  steadily  at  him  as  she  replied  promptly, 
<(  I  have  a  decided  opinion,  though  I  base  it  on  such 
poor  and  narrow  grounds  as  personal  experience.  I 
think  art  is  by  far  the  most  potent.  It  has  accom 
plished  for  me  much  more  than  science  or  religion 
ever  4id,  or  could." 


374  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

i(  What  has  it  done  for  you,  Miss  Mayhevv  ?  "  he 
asked,  dreading  the  answer. 

"  It  has  filled  me  with  despair,"  she  replied  with  a 
glance  and  tone  which  he  never  afterwards  forgot. 
Then,  with  the  same  cold,  quiet  manner  in  which  she 
had  come,  she  left  the  table. 

Van  Berg  turned  very  pale,  for  he  at  once  under 
stood  her  reference  to  the  emblematic  rose-bud  he 
had  thrown  away,  and  his  remark,  "Art  can  tolerate 
no  such  imperfection." 

Her  words  and  manner  hopelessly  perplexed  the 
others,  but  Van  Berg  believed  he  had  found  light  on 
the  problem  that  had  hitherto  baffled  him,  but  so  far 
from  being  reassured,  he  had  never  been  at  such 
bitter  odds  with  himself  before. 

He  soon  after  left  the  table  also,  hoping  to  find  an 
opportunity  to  express  his  regret  that  he  had  been  so 
harsh  by  prejudice ;  but  Miss  Mayhew  was  not  to 
be  found. 

"  Can  it  be,"  he  thought,  as  he  strode  off  into  the 
shrubbery,  "  that  I  have  been  blind  to  the  very 
effects  that  I  hoped  to  cause  ?  Can  it  be  that  she 
has  been  made  to  feel  her  imperfection  so  keenly, 
and  in  such  a  way  as  to  create  only  utter  discourage 
ment  ?  She  evidently  understands  the  worm-eaten 
rose-bud  I  tossed  away  to  be  the  emblem  of  herself. 
Oh,  the  curse  of  Phariseeism — the  'holier  than  thou  ' 
business,  whatever  form  it  takes.  It  has  made  an 
egregious  fool  of  me." 

"  But  her  relations  with  Sibley,  confound  it  all !  I 
can't  understand  them.  Why  did  she  associate  with 
him  so  constantly,  and  then  say,  '  Congenial  society, 


A-  GOOD  MAN  SPEAKS. 


375 


or  none  at  all '  ?  Seems  to  me  she  ought  to  have 
seen  what  he  was  before  he  showed  his  cloven  feet  so 
plainly.  Well,  perhaps  the  most  rational  as  well  as 
charitable  explanation  is  that  her  eyes  were  opened 
to  see  him  in  his  true  colors,  as  well  as  herself.  Had 
Titania's  eyes  been  disenchanted  when  she  was  fond 
ling  the  immortal  Weaver,  she  might  have  perished 
with  disgust  ;  and  it  is  scarcely  strange  that  Miss 
Mayhew  should  be  ill  on  finding  that  she  was  infatu 
ated  with  a  man  who  was  both  ass  and  villain.  She 
evidently  sees  things  as  they  are  now,  and  since  her 
vision  has  become  so  good,  I  am  very  sorry  I  do  not 
appear  to  better  advantage.  People  who  stalk  along 
through  life  with  elevated  noses,  are  not  pleasing  or 
edifying  spectacles." 

His  disquietude  soon  caused  him  to  return  to  the 
hotel,  in  hopes  of  seeing  the  object  of  his  thoughts. 

He  had  hardly  reached  the  piazza  before  Ida 
appeared,  dressed  in  a  plain  walking  suit.  She  hesi 
tated  a  moment  in  the  door-way  as  if  undecided  in 
her  course.  A  party  of  gay  young  people  were  just 
starting  on  a  stroll  to  a  neighboring  village.  With 
apparent  hesitancy,  she  said  to  one  of  the  young 
girls  : 

"I  have  an  errand  to  the  village;  may  I  walk  with 
you  for  company  ?  " 

"  Oh,  certainly,"  replied  the  girl,  but  evidently  not 
welcoming  this  addition  to  their  party,  and  Ida  went 
away  with  them,  but  not  as  one  of  them,  isolated 
more,  however,  by  her  own  manner  than  by  the  bear 
ing  of  her  companions. 

The  explanation  of  her  action  was  this  :  on  open- 


376  <*   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

ing  her  drawer  after  returning  to  her  room,  she  found, 
with  a  sense  of  dismay — as  if  a  misfortune  had  oc 
curred  instead  of  an  incident  that  gave  a  chance  for 
better  thought — that  in  taking  the  opiate  the  night 
before,  she  had  replaced  the  cork  in  the  phial  inse 
curely,  and  that  nearly  all  its  contents  had  oozed  away. 
Some  might  have  regarded  this  incident  as  an  omen 
or  a  providential  interference  ;  but  Ida  was  neither 
superstitious  nor  speculative  in  her  nature  ;  she  was 
positive  and  wilful,  rather,  and  the  current  of  her 
purposes  always  flowed  strongly,  though  it  might  be 
in  narrow  channels. 

"  There  is  nothing  left  for  me  to  do,"  she  muttered, 
"  but  go  to  the  village.  I  don't  know  whether  Mr. 
Burleigh  has  laudanum,  and  my  asking  for  it  might 
excite  suspicion."  t?  <>>».< 

It  was  terrible  to  see  her  fair  young  face  grow 
hard  like  marble  in  her  stern  determination  to  carry 
out  her  awful  design,  and  the  impress  of  this  remorse 
less  purpose  filled  Van  Berg  with  so  great  foreboding 
that  he  could  not  resist  the  impulse  to  follow  the  des 
perate  girl.  If  harm  should  come  to  her  through  the 
harshness  of  others,  and  as  he  now  feared,  more 
especially  his  own,  he  would  never  forgive  him 
self. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  and  Stanton  did  not  see  her  depar 
ture — they  were  in  anxious  consultation  in  one  of  the 
small  private  parlors,  and  the  artist,  to  disarm  suspi 
cion  of  his  design,  entered  the  hotel,  and  passed  out 
again  by  a  side  door,  from  which  he  took  a  short-cut 
across  the  fields,  intending  to  watch  Ida,  without  be 
ing  himself  observed. 


A    GOOD  MAN  SPEAKS. 


377 


Having  found  some  dense  copse-wood  by  the  road 
side,  and  near  to  the  village,  he  sat  down  and  waited. 
The  gay,  chattering  party  soon  passed,  Ida  walking 
by  herself  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  with  head 
bowed  as  if  wholly  wrapped  in  her  own  thoughts. 
Her  unhappy  face  appealed  to  his  sympathy  even 
more  than  her  graceful  carriage  to  his  sense  of  beauty, 
and  he  longed  to  join  her  and  make  such  amends  as 
were  possible. 

He  now  followed  at  too  great  a  distance  for  recog 
nition  in  the  deepening  twilight,  and  saw  the  young 
people  enter  a  confectionery  shop,  but  observed,  with 
increased  uneasiness,  that  Miss  Mayhew  parted  from 
them  and  went  to  an  adjacent  drug-store.  She  soon 
joined  the  party  again,  however,  and  they  all  appar 
ently  started  homeward. 

Van  Berg  at  once  determined  to  go  to  this  drug 
store  and  learn,  if  possible,  if  there  were  anything  to 
confirm  the  horrible  suspicion  that  crossed  his  mind. 
He  remembered  that  despair  and  desperate  deeds 
often  went  together,  and  the  daily  press  had  taught 
him  how  many  people,  with  warped  and  ungoverned 
moral  natures,  place  their  troubles  beyond  remedy 
by  the  supreme  folly  of  self-destruction. 

By  a  considerable  detour  through  a  side  street,  he 
reached  the  store  unperceived,  and  found  the  druggist 
rather  disquieted  himself. 

"  Are  you  staying  at  Burleigh's  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  am,"  Van  Berg  replied. 

"  Do  you  know  a  young  lady  boarding  there  with 
large  dark  eyes  and  auburn  hair  ?  " 

"  I  do." 


37 8  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

••'^   ''• 

"  Is  there — is  there  anything  wrong  about  her?  " 

'*  Why  should  there  be  ?     Why  do  you  ask  ?  " 

"She  has  just  been  in  here,  and  she  looked  sick 
and  strangely,  and  all  she  wanted  was  a  large  phial 
of  laudanum.  Somehow  her  looks  and  purchase  have 
made  me  uneasy.  I  never  saw  so  white  a  face  in  my 
life,  and  she  seemed  weak  and  very  tired.  If  she's 
sick,  how  comes  it  she's  walking  to  the  village  ?  Be 
sides,  she  seemed  to  have  very  little  to  do  with  the 
party  she  joined  after  leaving  here." 

Van  Berg  controlled  himself  only  by  a  powerful  ef 
fort,  and  was  very  glad  that  the  brim  of  his  soft  hat 
concealed  the  pallor  of  his  own  face.  He  managed 
to  say  quietly  : 

"  The  young  lady  you  describe  has  not  been  well, 
and  has  probably  found  the  walk  longer  and  more 
wearisome  than  she  supposed.  As  for  the  laudanum, 
that's  used  in  many  ways.  Some  cigars,  if  you  please 
— thank  you.  I'll  join  the  lady  and  see  that  she 
reaches  home  safely,"  and  he  hastily  left  the  store  and 
walked  swiftly  away. 

"  He  wouldn't  go  as  fast  as  that  if  he  wasn't  a  lit 
tle  uneasy,  too,"  muttered  the  druggist,  whose  dearth 
of  business  gave  him  abundant  leisure  to  see  all  that 
was  going  on,  and  to  imagine  much  more. 

Van  Berg  determined  to  overtake  Ida  before  she 
reached  the  hotel,  and  his  strides  were  as  long  and 
swift  as  mortal  dread  could  make  them. 

In  the  meantime,  while  the  artist  was  making  the 
detour  necessary  to  reach  the  drug-store  without 
meeting  Ida,  she  and  her  companions  had  started 
homeward.  As  they  approached  a  church-  on  the 


A   GOOD  MAN  SPEAKS.  379 

outskirts  of  the  village,  the  bell  in  the  steeple  com 
menced  tolling. 

"What's  that  for?"  asked  a  young  man  of  the 
party  of  a  plain,  farmer-like  appearing  man,  who  was 
just  about  to  enter. 

"  For  prayer-meetin',"  was  the  good-natured  re 
ply.  "  It  wouldn't  hurt  you  to  come  to  it ;  "  and  the 
speaker  passed  into  the  lecture-room. 

"  I  call  this  frivolous  assemblage  to  order,"  cried 
the  youth,  turning  around  to  his  companions.  "  If 
any  one  of  our  number  has  ever  attended  a  prayer- 
meeting,  let  him  hold  up  his  right  hand.  I  use  the 
masculine  pronoun,  because  the  man  always  embraces 
the  woman — when  he  gets  a  chance." 

No  hands  were  held  up. 

"  Heathen,  every  mother's  son  of  us,"  cried  the  first 
speaker.  "The  daughters  are  angels,  of  course,  and 
don't  need  to  go  to  prayer-meetin',  as  he  of  the  cow 
hide  sandals  just  termed  it.  But  for  the  novelty  of 
the  thing,  and  for  the  want  of  something  better  to 
do,  I  move  that  we  all  go  to-night.  If  it  should  be 
borous,  why,  we  can  come  out." 

The  proposition  pleased  the  fancy  of  the  party,  and 
with  gay  words  and  laughter  that  scarcely  ceased  at 
the  vestibule,  they  entered  the  place  of  prayer  and 
lighted  down  among  the  sober-visaged,  soberly- 
dressed  worshippers  like  a  flock  of  tropical  birds. 

Ida  reluctantly  followed  them.  At  first  she-  half 
decided  to  walk  home  alone,  but  feared  to  do  so. 
She  who  had  resolved  on  facing  the  "  King  of  Ter 
rors  "  shrank,  with  a  woman's  instinct,  from  a  lonely 
walk  in  the  starlight. 


3 80  A    FACE   ILLUMINED. 

She  sat  in  dreary  preoccupation  a  little  apart  from 
the  others  and  paid  no  more  heed  to  the  opening  ser 
vices  than  to  their  ill-concealed  merriment. 

The  minister  was  away  on  his  August  vacation. 
Prayer-meetings  were  out  of  season,  and  very  few 
were  present.  The  plain  farmer  was  trying  to  con 
duct  the  service  as  well  as  he  could,  but  it  was  evi 
dent  he  would  have  been  much  more  at  ease  holding 
the  handle  of  a  plow  or  the  reins  of  his  rattling 
team,  than  a  hymn-book.  Dr.  Watts  and  John  Wes 
ley  might  have  lost  some  of  their  heavenly  serenity 
could  they  have  heard  him  read  their  verses,  and  cer 
tainly  only  a  long-suffering  and  merciful  God  could 
listen  to  his  prayer.  And  yet  rarely  on  the  battle 
field  is  there  more  moral  courage  displayed  than 
plain  Thomas  Smith  put  forth  that  night  in  his  con 
scientious  effort  to  perform  an  unwonted  task  ;  and 
when  at  last  he  sat  down  and  said,  "  Bruthren,  the 
meetin'  is  now  open,"  he  was  more  exhausted  than  he 
would  have  been  from  a  long  day  of  toil. 

"The  Lord  looketh  at  the  heart"  is  a  truth  that 
chills  many  with  dread,  but  it  was  a  precious  thought 
to  Farmer  Smith  as  he  saw  that  his  fellow  church 
members  did  not  look  very  appreciative,  and  that  the 
gay  young  city  people  often  giggled  outright  at  his 
uncouth  words  and  manner. 

Ida  would  have  been  as  greatly  amused  as  any  of 
them  a  few  weeks  since,  but  now  she  scarcely  heard 
the  poor  man's  stumblings,  or  the  wailing  of  the 
hymns  that  were  mangled  anew  by  the  people.  She 
sat  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  vacancy,  thinking  how 
dreary  and  empty  the  world  had  become  ;  and  it 


A    GOOD   MAN  SPEAKS.  38! 

seemed  to  her  that  religion  was  the  most  dreary  and 
empty  thing  in  it. 

"What  good  can  this  wretched  little  meeting  do 
any  one  ?  "  she  thought,  more  than* once. 

She  was  answered. 

Near  her  was  a  very  old  man  who  had  been  regard 
ing  the  ill-behaved  party  with  an  expression  of  min 
gled  displeasure  and  pity.  Now  that  the  meeting  was 
open  to  all  he  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  steadying  him 
self  with  his  cane. 

"  He  looks  like  the  Ancient  Mariner,"  giggled  an 
exceedingly  immature  youth,  who  sat  next  to  Ida. 

She  turned  upon  him  sharply  and  said,  in  a  low 
tone,  "  If  you  have  the  faintest  instincts  of  a  gentle 
man  you  will  respect  that  venerable  man." 

The  youth  was  so  effectually  quenched  that  he 
bore  the  aspect  of  a  turnip- beet  during  the  remain 
der  of  the  service. 

"  My  young  friends,"  began  the  old  man  in  tones 
of  gentle  dignity,  "  will  you  listen  patiently  and  quiet 
ly  to  one  that  you  see  wili  not  have  the  chance  to 
speak  many  more  words.  My  eyes  are  a  little  dim, 
but  you  all  appear  young  and  happy  ;  and  yet  I  am 
sorry  for  you,  very  sorry  for  you.  You  don't  realize 
what  you  are  and  what  is  before  you.  You  remind 
me  of  a  number  of  pleasure  boats  just  starting  out  to 
sea.  I  have  been  across  this  ocean,  and  have  almost 
reached  the  other  shore.  I  know  what  terrible 
storms  and  dangers  you  will  meet.  You  can't  escape 
these  storms,  my  young  friends.  No  one  can,  and 
you  don't  seem  prepared  to  meet  them. 

"  Your  manner  has  pained  me  very  much,  and  yet, 


382  A   FACE  n.LL'MlNED. 

as  my  Master  said,  so  I  have  felt,  you  '  know  not 
what  you  do.'  There  is  a  Kingly  Presence  in  this 
place  that  you  have  not  recognized.  Do  you  not  re 
member  who  it  was  that  said,  '  Where  two  or  three 
are  gathered  together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  them  '  ? 

"  I  am  very  old,  but  my  memory  is  good.  It  seems 
but  a  short  time  ago  that  I  was  as  young  and  thought 
less  as  any  one  of  you,  and  yet  it  was  seventy  years 
ago.  I  have  tested  the  friendship  of  Jesus  Christ  for 
over  half  a  century.  Have  I  not  then  a  right  to  speak 
of  it?  Ought  I  not  to  know  something  about  him  ? 

"  Do  you  ask  me  if  my  Master  has  kept  me  from 
trouble  and  suffering  all  these  years  ?  Far  from  it. 
Indeed,  I  think  he  has  caused  me  a  good  deal  of 
trouble  and  pain  in  addition  to  that  which  I  brought 
on  myself  by  my  own  folly  and  mistakes  ;  but  I  now 
see  that  he  caused  it  only  as  the  good  physician  gives 
pain,  in  order  to  make  the  patient  strong  and  well. 
But  one  thing  is  certainly  true.  He  has  stood  by  me 
as  a  faithful  friend  all  these  years,  and  has  brought 
good  to  me  out  of  all  the  evil.  I  have  been  in  sore 
temptations  and  deep  discouragement.  My  heart  at 
times  has  seemed  breaking  with  sorrow.  Mine  has  been 
the  common  lot.  But  when  the  storm  was  loudest  and 
most  terrible,  his  hand  was  on  the  helm,  and  now  I 
am  entering  the^quiet  harbor.  There  has  been  much 
that  was  dark  and  hard  to  understand  ;  there  is  much 
still ;  but  there  is  plenty  to  prove  that  my  Heavenly 
Father  is  leading  me  home  as  a  little  child. 

"  It  is  a  precious,  blessed  truth  that  I  wish  to  bring 
you  face  to  face  with  to-night,  and  yet  it  may  become 


A    COOD   .I/.-/.V  SPEAKS. 


383 


a  very  sad  and  terrible  truth  if  you  shut  your  eyes 
to  it  now  and  remember  it  only  when  it  is  too  late. 
I  wish  to  assure  you,  on  the  ground  of  simple, 
downright  experience  for  all  these  years,  that  God's 
1  unspeakable  gift,'  his  only  Son,  is  just  what  our 
poor  human  nature  needs.  Jesus  Christ  '  is  able  to 
save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  to  God  by  him.' 
He  helps  us  overcome  that  awful  disease — sin.  He 
brings  to  our  unhappy  hearts  immortal  life  and  health. 
I  know  it  as  I  know  that  I  exist.  He  has  helped  me 
when  and  where  there  was  no  human  help.  I  have 
often  seen  his  redeeming  work  in  the  lives  of  other 
faulty,  sinful  people  like  myself. 

' '  The  question  therefore  which  you  must  each  decide 
is  not  whether  you  will  ever  belong  to  this  church  or 
that,  not  whether  you  will  believe  this  or  that  doc 
trine,  or  do  what  this  or  that  man  teaches.  The  ques 
tion  is  this  : — Here  is  a  tender,  merciful,  Divine 
Friend.  He  offers  to  lead  you  safely  through  all  the 
dangers  and  hard  places  in  this  world,  as  a  shepherd 
leads  his  flock  through  the  wilderness.  Will  you  follow 
him,  or  will  you  remain  in  the  wilderness  and  perish 
when  the  night  comes,  as  it  surely  will  ?  If  you  will  fol 
low  him  as  well  as  you  can,  he  '11  bring  you  to  a  hap 
py  and  eternal  home.  Thanks. to  his  patient  kindness 
which  never  falters,  he  has  brought  me  almost  there. 

"  And  now,  my  young  friends,  bear  with  an  old 
man,  and  let  me  say,  in  conclusion,  that  you  all  need 
the  kind,  patient,  faithful  Friend  that  I  found  so  long 
ago.  No  evil,  no  misfortune  can  come  into  any 
human  life  that  is  beyond  his  power  to  remedy  and 
finally  banish  forever.  If  you  have  not  found  this 


384  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

Friend,  this  Life-giver,  I  am  younger  and  happier 
than  you  are  to-day,  although  I  am  eighty-eight  years 
old." 

Once  before  a  rash,  despairing  man  lifted  his  hand 
against  his  life,  but  God's  message  to  him,  through  his 
apostle,  was,  "  Do  thyself  no  harm."  And  now  again 
a  faithful  servant,  speaking  for  him  whose  coming  was 
God's  supreme  expression  of  good-will  towards  men, 
had  brought  a  like  merciful  message  to  another  poor 
soul  that  had  taken  counsel  of  despair.  Ida  Mayhew 
might  learn,  as  did  the  jailer  of  Philippi,  that  God  has 
a  better  remedy  than  death  for  seemingly  irretrieva 
ble  disasters. 

The  old  gentleman's  words  came  home  to  her  with 
such  a  force  of  personal  application  that  she  was 
deeply  moved,  and  even  awed.  They  seemed  like  a 
divine  message — nay  more,  like  a  restraining  hand. 
"  How  strange  it  was,"  she  thought,  that  she  had 
come  to  this  place  ! — how  strange  that  a  serene  old 
man,  with  heaven's  peace  already  on  his  brow,  should 
have  uttered  the  words  best  adapted  to  her  desperate 
need.  If  he  had  spoken  of  duty,  obligation,  of  truth 
in  the  abstract,  his  tones  would  have  been  like  the 
sound  of  a  wintry  wind.  But  he  had  spoken  of  a 
Friend,  as  tender,  patiejit,  and  helpful  as  he  was  pow 
erful.  What  was  far  more,  he  spoke  with  the  strong 
convincing  confidence  of  personal  knowledge.  He 
had  tried  this  Friend  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
over  half  a  century,  and  found  him  true.  Could  hu 
man  assurance — could  human  testimony  go  farther  ? 
Deep  in  her  heart  she  was  conscious  that  hope  was 
reviving  again — that  the  end  had  not  yet  come. 


A    GOOD   MAN  SPEAKS.  385 

The  gay  young  party,  touched  and  subdued,  passed 
oul  quietly  with  the  others.  But  Ida  lingered. 

"  Who  is  that  old  gentleman  ?  "  she  asked  of  a  lady 
near  her. 

"That  is  Mr.  Eltinge— Mr.  James  Eltinge,"  was 
the  reply. 

Ida  passed  slowly  towards  the  door,  looking  wist 
fully  back  at  the  old  man,  who  stopped  to  greet 
cheerily  one  and  another. 

"  No  one  need  be  afraid  to  speak  to  him,"  she 
thought.  "  His  every  look  and  tone  show  him  to  be 
kind  and  sincere.  I'll  see  him  before — before  " — she 
shuddered,  and  scarcely  dared  to  put  her  dark  pur 
pose  in  thought  in  the  presence  of  one  who  had  lived 
patiently  at  God's  will  for  nearly  a  century. 

She  stepped  out  into  the  night  and  watched  for  his 
coming.  In  a  moment  or  two  the  6*ld  gentleman 
passed  out  also,  and  stood  waiting  for  his  carriage. 

Timidly  approaching  him,  she  said,  "  Mr.  Eltinge, 
may  I  speak  with  you  ?  " 

He  stepped  with  her  a  little  aside  from  the 
others. 

"  Mr.  Eltinge,"  she  continued,  in  a  voice  that  trem 
bled  and  was  broken  by  her  feeling,  "  I  am  one  of 
the  young  people  you  spoke  to  this  evening.  I'm  in 
trouble — deep  trouble.  I  want  such  a  Friend  as  you 
described  to-night." 

He  took  her  hand  and  said,  in  a  hearty  voice, 
"  God  bless  you,  my  child.  He  wants  you  more 
than  you  want  him." 

"  May  I  come  and  see  you  to-morrow  morning?  " 
asked  Ida,  hurriedly,  for  his  tones  of  kindness,  for 
17 


386  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

which  her  heart  was  famishing,  were  fast  breaking 
down  her  self-control. 

"  I'll  come  and  see  you,"  was  his  prompt  and  cor 
dial  response. 

"  No,"  she  faltered,  "let  it  be  asJ  wish.  Please 
tell  me  where  to  find  you." 

As  he  finished  directing  her,  she  stooped  down 
and  kissed  his  hand,  and  then  vanished  in  the  dark 
ness. 

"  Perhaps  I'm  not  yet  a  cumberer  of  the  ground," 
murmured  the  old  man,  wiping  a  sudden  moisture 
from  his  eyes. 


VAN  B ERG'S  ESCAPE. 


387 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
VAN  BERG'S  ESCAPE. 

IDA  found  the  party,  on  whose  companionship  she 
had  in  a  measure  forced  herself,  waiting  and  call 
ing  for  her.  The  words  of  the  old  gentleman  had 
inspired  them  with  kinder  and  more  considerate  feel 
ing. 

"  I'm  coming,"  she  answered  ;  "  don't  wait  for  me, 
I'll  keep  near  you." 

As  they  had  already  observed  her  evident  wish  to 
be  left  to  herself,  they  complied  with  her  request. 

The  icy  calm  of  her  despair  was  now  broken. 

"  God  bless  him  for  his  kindness  !  "  she  murmured, 
and  "  God  bless  him  for  his  hearty,  hopeful  words  ; 
they  may  save  me  yet,"  and  she  followed  the  others, 
crying  softly  to  herself  like  a  little  child.  It  would 
seem  as  if  every  warm  tear  fell  on  her  heart  that  had 
been  so  hard  and  desperate  before,  so  rapidly  did  it 
melt  at  the  thought  of  the  old  man's  kindness. 

But  before  she  reached  the  hotel  she  began  to  grow 
excessively  weary.  She  had  not  only  overtaxed  her 
powers  of  endurance,  but  had  over-estimated  them. 

At  last,  as  she  was  about  to  ask  her  companions  to 
walk  more  slowly,  lest  she  should  be  left  alone  by  the 


388  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

roadside  in  her  weakness,  she  heard  the  sound  of 
strong,  rapid  steps. 

"  Where  is  Miss  Mayhew  ?  "  was  the  anxious  query 
of  a  voice  that  made  her  heart  bound  and  color  come 
into  her  face,  even  at  that  moment  of  almost  mortal 
weakness  and  weariness. 

"  Here  is  Miss  Mayhew,"  said  one  of  the  half- 
grown  youths.  "  She  prefers  to  walk  by  herself,  it 
seems." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Van  Berg,  decisively.  "  I 
will  see  her  safely  home  ; "  and  the  party  went  on, 
leaving  him  face  to  face  with  the  maiden  whom  he 
now  believed  he  had  very  greatly  wronged,  but  who, 
he  feared,  might  yet  prove  herself  capable  of  a  terri 
ble  crime. 

She  stood  before  him  with  bowed  head.  In  her 
weakness  and  agitation  she  trembled  so  violently 
that  even  in  the  starlight  he  could  not  help  seeing 
her  distress,  and  it  rilled  him  at  once  with  pity  and 
alarm. 

"You  are  ill,  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said,  anxiously. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  ;  then,  conscious  of  her  grow 
ing  need,  she  said,  appealingly,  "  Mr.  Van  Berg,  with 
all  my  faults  I  am  at  least  a  woman.  Please  help  me 
home.  I'm  so  weak  and  weary  that  I'm  almost  ready 
to  faint." 

He  seized  her  hand  and  faltered  hoarsely,  "  Miss 
Mayhew,  you  have  not — you  have  not  taken  that 
drug " 

She  was  so  vividly  conscious  of  her  own  dark  se 
cret,  and  so  impressed  by  his  power  to  discover  all 
the  evil  in  her  nature,  that  she  replied  in  a  low  tone, 


VAN  BERG'S  ESCAPE.  389 

"  Hush.     I  understand  you.     Not  yet." 

"  Thank  God  !  "  he  ejaculated,  with  such  a  deep 
sigh  of  relief  that  she  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 
Then  he  drew  her  hand  within  his  arm,  and  weary  as 
she  was,  she  could  not  help  noting  that  it  trembled 
as  if  he  had  an  ague. 

For  a  few  moments  they  walked  on  without  speak 
ing.  Then  the  artist  addressed  her. 

"  Miss  Mayhew " 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  hastily  interrupting 
him.  "  Spare  me  to  night.  I'm  too  weary  even  to 
think." 

Again  they  walked  on  in  silence,  but  his  agitation 
was  evidently  increasing. 

"  Let  me  enter  by  that  side  door,  please,"  she  said, 
as  they  approached  the  hotel. 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  began,  in  a  low,  hurried  tone, 
"  I  must  speak.  You  said  you  were  a  woman.  As 
such  I  appeal  to  you.  A  woman  may,  at  times,  have 
no  pity  on  herself,  but  it  rarely  happens  that  she  is 
pitiless  towards  others,  and  it  is  said  that  she  is  often 
the  most  generous  and  merciful  towards  those  who 
have  wronged  her.  I  have  wronged  you  cruelly  and 
unpardonably.  I  knew  it  as  soon  as  you  entered  the 
parlor  last  evening.  There  is  no  excuse  for  me — I 
will  never  forgive  myself,  but  I  do  most  sincerely 
apologize  and  ask  your  forgiveness.  Miss  Mayhew,  I 
appeal  to  your  generosity — I  appeal  to  your  woman's 
heart.  If  you  should  consummate  the  awful  purpose 
which  I  fear  has  been  in  your  mind,  I  should  go  mad 
with  remorse.  You  would  destroy  me  as  surely  as 
yourself.  Pardon  me  for  speaking  thus,  but  I  fear  so 


390  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

greatly — O  God  !  can  she  have  already  committed  the 
fatal  act  ?  " 

Ida's  overtaxed  powers  had  given  way,  and  she 
would  have  fallen  had  he  not  sustained  her.  His 
words  had  overwhelmed  her,  and,  taken  in  connec- 
tio'n  with  those  spoken  by  old  Mr.  Eltinge,  had 
given  a  glimpse  of  the  awful  abyss  into  which  she 
had  well  nigh  plunged,  dragging  others,  perhaps, 
after  her.  She  recoiled  from  it  all  so  strongly  that 
she  became  sick  and  faint  from  dread,  and  Van  Berg 
was  compelled  to  support  her  to  a  rustic  seat  near 
the  path.  He  was  about  to  leave  her  in  order  to 
obtain  assistance,  when  she  put  her  hand  on  his  arm 
and  gasped  : 

"  Wait — give  me  time — I'll  soon  be  better.  Do 
not  call  any  one,  I  beg." 

"  Let  me  quietly  bring  you  a  little  wine,  then, 
from  my  own  room  ?  " 

She  bowed  her  assent. 

The  stimulant  soon  revived  her.  He  stood  at  her 
side  waiting  with  intense  anxiety  till  she  should 
sp';ak.  At  last  she  rose  slowly  and  weakly,  saying, 
in  a  low  tone  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  suppose  I  have  now  reached 
the  lowest  depth  in  your  estimation,  but  I  cannot 
help  it.  I  admit  that  I  was  in  an  awful  and  desperate 
mood,  and  was  about  to  act  accordingly.  There  is 
no  use  of  trying  to  hide  anything  from  you.  But  a 
good  man  spoke  kindly  to  me  to-night,  and  the 
black,  spell  is  broken.  There  is  the  drug  I  pur 
chased,"  and  she  handed  him  the  phial  of  laudanum. 
"  You  may  now  dismiss  all  fears.  I  will  explain  fur- 


VAN  BERG'S  ESCAPE.  39 r 

ther  another  time  if  you  care  to  hear.  Please  let  me 
go  in  by  myself." 

"  Pardon  me  for  saying,  no,"  he  answered,  gently. 
"  I  think  I  am  best  able  to-night  to  judge  of  what 
is  right.  You  must  go  in  at  the  main  entrance, 
and  on  my  arm.  Henceforward  I  shall  treat  you 
with  respect,  and  I  intend  that  all  others  shall  also." 

With  a  low  sob,  she  said,  impulsively :  "  Oh,  Mr. 
Van  Berg,  forgive  me  !  but  that  was  my  motive.  I 
meant  to  compel  your  respect,  and  I  thought  there 
was  no  other  way.  I  thought  that  if  I  went  to  my 
grave,  instead  of  going  to  the  man  who  attempted 
your  life,  you  would  see  that  you  had  misjudged  me. 
Here  is  a  letter  which  I  wrote  you.  It  should  go 
with  the  poison.  It  is  all  that  I  can  offer  in  excuse 
or  extenuation." 

"  Good  God  !"  he  exclaimed.  "I  have  escaped 
a  worse  fate  than  yours  would  have  been,"  and  she 
felt  his  arm  again  trembling  violently  beneath  her 
hand. 

"  I  did  not  think  you  would  care  so  greatly,"  she 
murmured. 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said,  in  a  deep  voice,  "  prom 
ise  me,  before  God,  that  you  will  never  harbor  such  a 
thought  again." 

"  I  hope  I  never  may,"  she  replied,  despondently, 
"but  I've  lost  all  confidence  in  myself,  Mr.  Van 
Berg." 

"  Poor  child  !  What  a  brute  I've  been,"  he  mut 
tered  ;  but  she  heard  him. 

As  they  mounted  the  piazza,  they  met  Stanton  and 
Mrs.  Mayhew. 


392  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Why,  Ida,"  exclaimed  her  mother,  "  I  thought 
you  were  in  your  room." 

"  I  walked  to  the  village  with  a  party  of  young 
people,"  was  her  hasty  reply,  "and  Mr.  Van  Berg  met 
me  on  our  return.  I'm  very  tired.  Good-night,"  and 
she  went  directly  to  her  room. 

The  artist's  manner  in  parting  was  polite  and  re 
spectful,  and  by  this  simple  act,  he  did  much  to  rein 
state  her  in  the  social  position  she  had  well  nigh  lost, 
through  her  supposed  infatuation  with  the  man  who 
was  now  a  synonym  in  the  house  for  everything 
that  was  vile. 

On  the  following  day,  through  the  aid  of  Miss  Bur 
ton,  he  caused  the  impression  to  be  generally  given 
that  Miss  Mayhew  had  been  exceedingly  mortified 
that  she  had  ever  associated  with  such  a  villain  as 
Sibley  had  shown  himself  to  be,  and  still  more 
pained  to  think  that  she  should  be  imagined  capa 
ble  of  any  other  feeling  save  contempt  for  him,  after 
learning  of  his  disgraceful  words  and  actions.  These 
explanations  gave  an  entirely  new  aspect  to  the  mat 
ter,  and  sufficiently  accounted  for  her  increasing  in 
disposition  and  rather  odd  behavior.  Indeed,  people 
placed  it  to  her  credit  that  she  was  so  deeply  affected, 
and  were  all  the  more  inclined  to  make  amends  for 
having  misjudged  her. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  accompanied  her  daughter  to  her 
room,  but  Ida  told  her  that  she  was  too  weary  to 
answer  a  single  question,  and  that  she  wished  to  be 
alone. 

"Van,  may  I  speak  with  you?"  Stanton  had 
asked,  anxiously. 


VAN  BERG'S  ESCAPE.  393 

When  they  were  sufficiently  far  from  the  house  to 
ensure  privacy  he  began  again:  "Van,  what's  the 
matter  ?  You  were  as  white  as  if  you  had  seen  a 
ghost." 

"  I'm  not  afraid  of  ghosts,"  said  the  artist,  almost 
sternly,  "  but  there  are  things  which  I  mortally  fear, 
and  chief  among  these  are  blunders — stupid,  irra 
tional  acts,  but  involving  results  that  may  be  beyond 
remedy.  You  and  I  have  just  made  one  that  might 
have  cost  us  dear.  Of  course  you  will  treat  your 
cousin  hereafter  as  you  please,  but  I  most  decidedly 
request  that  you  do  and  say  nothing  that  involves 
any  reference  to  me.  I  wish  her  to  form  her  opinion 
of  my  attitude  towards  her  solely  from  her  own  ob 
servation." 

"  I  think  you  are  a  trifle  severe,  but  I  suppose  I 
deserve  it,"  said  Stanton,  stiffly. 

"  I  admit  that  I  am  strongly  moved.  I  do  not  ex 
cuse  myself  in  the  least ;  and  yet  you  know  I 'was  mis 
led.  I  must  tell  you  plainly  that  Ida  Mayhew  is  not  a 
girl  to  be  trifled  with.  I  fear  her  mother  wholly  fails  in 
understanding  her,  and  from  what  you  yourself  have 
told  me  of  her  father,  she  has  no  help  there.  She 
has  no  brother,  and  you  should  take  the  place  of  one, 
as  far  as  possible.  The  only  right  I  have  to  speak 
thus  is  on  the  grouud  of  the  great  wrong  I  have  done 
her,  and  for  which  I  can  never  forgive  myself.  Miss 
Mayhew  and  I  are  comparative  strangers  and  our  brief 
summer  sojourn  here  will  soon  be  over.  By  mere  ac 
cident  facts  have  come  to  my  knowledge  to-night 
which  prove,  in  the  most  emphatic  manner,  that  she 
requires  kind,  unobtrusive,  but  vigilant  care.  I  never 
17* 


394  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

knew  of  a  girl  who  needed  a  brother -more  than  she. 
She  is  not  bad  at  heart — far  from  it,  but  she  is  fear 
fully  rash,  and  she  is  warped  by  education,  or  its  lack, 
and  by  the  vile  literature  she  has  read,  to  such  a  de 
gree  that  she  cannot  see  things  in  their  true  moral  as 
pects.  I'll  give  you  a  plain  hint,  and  then  you  must  not 
ask  me  anything  further,  for  both  you  and  I  must  be 
able  to  say  that  the  history  of  my  last  interview  was 
never  given.  My  hint  is  this — I  do  not  believe  that 
self-destruction  ever  appeared  to  Miss  Mayhew  as  an 
awful  and  revolting  crime.  Her  actual  life,  hitherto, 
has  been  a  round  of  frivolity.  Only  on  the  stage  or  in 
the  absurd  woes  of  her  stilted  heroes  and  heroines 
has  she  given  any  attention  to  the  sad  and  serious 
side  of  life.  Men  and  women  committing  suicide  to 
slow  music  is  the  chief  stock  in  trade  in  some  quar 
ters,  and  when  serious  trouble  came  to  her  this  devil's 
comedy  had  been  robbed  of  its  horror  by  the  clap-trap 
of  stage  effect.  That  is  the  only  way  in  which  I  can 
account  for  it  all  or  excuse  her.  But  the  fact  that  she 
recoiled  from  Sibley  so  strongly  and  felt  the  disgrace 
of  her  association  so  keenly,  proves  that  she  possesses 
a  true  woman's  nature.  But,  as  I  said,  she  needs  a 
brother's  care.  You  are  nearest  of  kin,  Stanton,  and 
you  must  give  it.  Indeed,  Ik,  pardon  the  freedom 
of  an  old  friend  whom  circumstances  have  strangely 
mixed  up  in  this  affair,  I  think  you  are  honor-bound 
to  give  this  brother's  protection  ;  and  you  are  a  man 
of  honor  if  you  pass  your  word." 

"Do  you — do  you  think  there  is  still  any  danger 
that  she  will " 

"No;  the  danger  is  passed  for  this  occasion;  but 


VAN  BERG'S  ESCAPE. 


395 


you  must  guard  her  from  deep  despondency  or  strong 
provocation  in  the  future." 

"  The  task  you  require  is  a  difficult  one.  I  doubt 
whether  she  ever  forgives  me  even." 

"I  think  she  will.  I  have  also  learned  to-night 
that  genuine  kindness  and  sympathy  have  great 
weight  with  her.  Pledge  me  your  word  that  you  will 
do  the  best  you  can." 

"  Well,  Van,  I  suppose  I  ought — I  will.  But  your 
words  have  quite  unnerved  me." 

"  Unnerved  !  I'm  worse  than  that.  I  feel  as  if  I  had 
passed  through  a  month's  illness.  Never  breathe  a 
whisper  of  all  this  to  any  one.  Good-night."  And 
he  strode  away  in  the  darkness. 

Having  reached  a  secluded  spot,  he  ground  the 
phial  of  laudanum  that  Ida  had  given  him  under  his 
heel  with  the  vindictiveness  with  which  he  would 
stamp  out  the  life  of  a  poisonous  reptile. 

Then  he  returned  to  his  room  and  took  out  Ida's 
letter,  but  his  hands  trembled  so  that  he  could 
scarcely  open  it.  As  he  read,  they  trembled  still 
more,  and  his  face  became  almost  ashen  in  its  hue. 
He  was  so  appalled  at  what  might  have  happened 
that  his  heart  seemed  for  a  second  to  cease  its  pulsa 
tions. 

"Great  God!"  he  said,  in  a  hoarse  whisper — 
"  what  an  escape  I've  had  !  " 

Hour  after  hour  passed,  but  he  sat  motionless,  star 
ing  at  the  abyss  into  which  he  had  almost  stumbled. 

The  song  of  a  bird  without  reminded  him  that 
morning  was  near.  He  drew  the  curtain  and  saw 
that  the  dawn  was  reddening  the  sky. 


396  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Thank  God,"  he  cried,  fervently,  "  for  the  escape 
we  both  have  had  !  " 

Then,  in  order  to  throw  off  the  horrible  nightmare 
that  had  oppressed  him,  he  stole  quietly  out  into  the 
fresh,  cool,  dewy  air. 


VAN  BERG'S   CONCLUSIONS.  397 


CHAPTER  XL. 

VAN  BERG'S  CONCLUSIONS. 

VAN  BERG  knew  that  the  word  discouragement 
was  in  the  dictionary,  and  he  supposed  he  under 
stood  its  meaning,  but  Ida  Mayhew's  farewell  letter 
proved  to  him  that  he  was  mistaken.  There  are  some 
things  we  never  learn  until  taught  by  the  severe  logic 
of  events  and  experience.  There  had  been  nothing 
in  his  own  history  or  character  that  enabled  him  to 
realize  the  dreary  sinking  of  heart — the  paralyzing 
despondency  of  those  who  believe  or  fear  that  they 
have  been  defeated  and  thwarted  in  life.  Through 
the  weaknesses  and  dangers  of  early  life  he  had  been 
shielded  with  loving  vigilance.  His  mind  and  taste 
had  been  fostered  with  untiring  care,  and  yet  every 
new  development  praised  as  unstintedly  as  if  all  were 
of  native  growth.  Fortunately  he  abounded  in  virile 
force  and  good  sense,  and  so  gradually  passed  from 
self-complacency  and  conceit  to  the  self-reliance  and 
courage  of  a  strong  man  who ,  while  aware  of  his  ability 
and  vantage-ground,  also  recognizes  the  fact  that  noth 
ing  can  take  the  place  of  skilfully  directed  industry 
in  well-defined  directions.  The  confidence  that  had 
been  created  by  the  favorable  conditions  of  his  lot 
had  been  increased  far  more  by  the  knowledge  that 


398  .    "         A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

he  could  go  out  into  the  world  and  hold  his  own 
among  men  on  the  common  ground  of  hard  work  and 
innate  strength.  He  expected  esteem,  respectful 
courtesy — and  even  admiration — as  a  matter  of  course. 
They  were  in  part  his  birthright  and  partly  the  result 
of  his  own  achievement,  and  he  received  them  as 
quietly  as  his  customary  income.  Their  presence 
was  like  his  excellent  health,  to  which  he  scarcely 
gave  a  thought,  but  their  withdrawal  would  have  af 
fected  him  keenly,  although  he  had  never  considered 
the  possibility  of  such  a  thing. 

What  in  him  was  confidence  and  self-reliance  had 
been  in  Ida  little  else  than  vanity  and  pride,  and  these, 
circumstances  had  enabled  him  to  wound  unto  death. 
He  had,  from  the  first,  calmly  and  philosophically  rec 
ognized  the  fact  that  he  must  break  down,  in  part,  the 
Chinese  wall  of  her  self-approval,  before  any  elevating 
ideas  and  ennobling  impulses  could  enter,  and  as  much 
through  unforeseen  events  as  by  his  effort,  this  had 
been  done  to  a  degree  that  threatened  results  that 
appalled  him.  He  had  been  taught  thoroughly  that, 
faulty  and  ignorant  as  she  undoubtedly  was,  she  was 
by  no  means  shallow  and  weak.  To  his  mind  the 
depth  of  her  despondency  was  the  measure  of  her 
power  to  realize  her  imperfection,  for  he  now  sup 
posed  her  depression  was  caused  immediately  by  the 
fact  that  she  had  been  so  harshly  misjudged,  but  in 
the  main  because  of  her  resemblance  to  the  flower  he 
had  tossed  away  and  which  he  now  remembered,  with 
deep  satisfaction,  was  in  his  note-book,  ready  to  aid  in 
the  reassuring  and  encouraging  work  upon  which  he 
was  eager  to  enter. 


VAN  BERG'S   CONCLUSIONS. 


399 


He  did  not  dream  that  by  tactics  the  reverse  of 
those  pursued  by  her  numerous  admirers  he  had  won 
her  heart,  and  that  the  apparent  hopelessness  of  her 
passion  had  outweighed  all  other  burdens. 

Her  kindest  sentiment  towards  him,  he  believed, 
was  the  cold  respect,  mingled  with  fear  and  dislike,  in 
which  a  severe  but  honest  critic  is  sometimes  held ; 
and  as  he  recalled  his  course  towards  her  he  now  felt 
that  she  had  little  reason  for  even  this  degree  of  re 
gard.  He  had  awakened  her  sleeping  mind  not  to  an 
atmosphere  of  kindness  and  sympathy  like  that  in 
which  the  beauty  in  the  fabled  castle  had  revived, 
but  to  a  biting  frost  of  harsh  criticism  and  unjust 
suspicion.  That  there  seemed,  at  the  time,  good 
reason  for  these  on  his  part  did  not  make  it  any 
easier  for  her  to  bear  them ;  and  in  the  fact  that  he 
had  so  misunderstood  and  wronged  her,  his  confi 
dence  in  his  own  sagacity  received  the  severest  shock 
it  had  ever  experienced.  *He  felt  that  he  could 
never  go  forward  in  life  with  his  old  assured  tread 
and  manner. 

Moreover  the  kindness  and  respect  which  he  now 
proposed  to  show  Ida  were  caused  more  by  compunc 
tion  and  fear  than  by  any  warmer  and  friendlier  mo 
tive.  He  wished  to  make  amends  for  his  injustice,  to 
reassure  the  girl,  to  smooth  over  matters  and  extri 
cate  himself  from  his  fateful  office  of  critic.  This  ex 
perimenting  with  human  souls  for  artistic  purposes 
was  a  much  more  serious  matter  than  he  could  have 
imagined.  He  had  entered  upon  it  as  a  part  of  his 
summer  recreation,  but  had  found  himself  playing 
with  forces  that  had  well-nigh  destroyed  him  as  well 


400  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

as  the  subject  of  his  fancied  skill.  Hereafter  he  pro 
posed  to  illumine  faces  with  thought,  feeling,  and 
spiritual  beauty  on  canvas  only,  so  that,  in  case  he 
should  become  discouraged  or  disgusted  with  his 
efforts  and  throw  the  work  aside,  there  might  be  no 
such  tragic  protest  as  Ida  Mayhew  had  almost  offered. 
While  he  pitied,  and  now  in  a  certain  sense  respected 
her,  she  filled  him  with  the  uncomfortable  dread  and 
nervous  apprehension  which  rash  and  unbalanced  na 
tures  always  inspire.  The  charge  he  had  given  Stan- 
ton  revealed  his  opinion.  She  was  one  who  must  be 
watched  over,  not  with  the  tender  care  and  sympa 
thy  that  he  hoped  to  bestow  on  Jennie  Burton,  but 
with  kind,  yet  firm  and  wary  vigilance,  in  order  to 
prevent  action  dangerous  both  to  herself  and  others ; 
and  a  heavy,  anxious  task  he  believed  such  care 
would  be, 

His  aim  was  now  to  heal  the  wounds  he  had  made 
by  a  decided  manifestation  of  kindness  and  respect 
which  should  be  as  sincere  as  possible  in  view  of  his 
knowledge  of  her  faults  ;  and  if  her  present  good  im 
pulses  were  anything  more  than  passing  moods,  to 
encourage  them,  as  far  as  he  could,  and  then  retire 
from  the  scene  as  soon  as  circumstances  permitted. 
He  had  been  too  thoroughly  frightened  to  wish  to 
continue  in  the  role  of  a  spiritual  reformer,  and  he 
had  a  growing  perception  that,  with  his  present  mo 
tive  and  knowledge,  the  work  was  infinitely  beyond 
him.  He  began  to  fear  that  he  was  like  certain  phy 
sicians,  whose  skill  consists  chiefly  in  their  power  to 
aggravate  disease  rather  than  to  cure  it.  He  had 
found  Ida  a  vain,  silly  girl,  apparently.  He  had 


VAN  BERG'S   CONCLUSIONS.  401 

parted  the  previous  evening  from  a  desperate  woman, 
capable  of  self-destruction,  and  her  letter  inseparably 
linked  him  with  the  marvellous  change.  Thus  he 
gained  the  uneasy  impression  that  there  was  too 
much  nitro-glycerine  in  human  nature  in  general,  and 
in  Ida  Mayhew  in  particular,  for  him  to  use  such  ma 
terial  in  working  out  metaphysical  and  artistic  prob 
lems. 

At  the  end  of  his  long  morning  walk  he  con 
cluded  : 

"  Poor  child  !  after  her  eyes  were  opened  she 
could  not  help  seeing  a  great  deal  that  was  exceed 
ingly  depressing.  In  regard  to  her  parents,  she  is 
far  worse  off  than  if  orphaned.  In  regard  to  herself, 
she  finds  that  her  best  years  are  gone,  and  she  has 
neither  culture  of  mind  nor  heart — that  her  beauty  is 
but  a  mask  that  'cannot  long  conceal  the  enduring 
imperfection  and  deformity  .of  her  character.  She 
associates  these  discoveries  with  me  because  I  first 
disturbed  her  vanity  ;  but  the  beauty  of  Jennie  Bur 
ton's  life,  the  dastardly  behavior  of  Sibley,  and  the 
deep  humiliation  received  through  him,  with  other 
circumstances,  have  all  combined  to  bring  about  the 
revelation.  And  yet,  confound  it  all  !  I  did  act  the 
stupid  Pharisee  on  several  occasions,  and  I  might  as 
well  own  it  both  to  her  and  myself.  A  Pharisee  is  a 
fool  per  se.  Well,  I'm  sorry  to  say,  her  outlook 
for  life  is  dark  at  best,  even  if  she  were  not  so  fear 
fully  rash  and  unbalanced.  -As  it  is  I  expect  to  hear 
some  sad  story  of  Ida  Mayhew  before  many  years 
pass.  I'll  try  to  brighten  a  few  days  for  her,  how 
ever,  before  I  go  to  town,  and  then  the  farther 


4O2 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


we  can  drift  apart  the  better.  How  delightful,  in 
contrast,  is  the  sense  of  rest  and  security  that 
Jennie  Burton  always  inspires  in  spite  of  her  sad 
mystery.0 


THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL.  403 


CHAPTER   XLL 

THE    PROTESTANT   CONFESSIONAL. 

IDA'S  sleep  was  almost  as  deep  and  quiet,  and, 
when  her  mother  stole  in  to  look  at  her  from 
time  to  time  the  following  morning,  her  face  was  as 
colorless,  as  if  she  had  taken  the  drug  which  Van 
Berg's  heel  had  ground  into  the  earth  ;  but  Mrs. 
Mayhew  observed  with  satisfaction  that  her  respir 
ation  was  as  regular  and  natural  as  that  of  a  little 
child.  Wronged  nature  will,  to  a  certain  extent,  for 
give  the  young  and  restore  to  them  the  priceless 
treasures  of  health  and  strength  they  throw  away. 
Ida  had  been  a  sad  spendthrift  of  both  lately,  but 
now  that  the  evil  spell  was  broken,  the  poor  worn 
body  and  mind  sank  into  a  long  and  merciful  obliv 
ion,  during  which  a  new  life  began  to  flow  back  from 
the,  as  yet,  unexhausted  fountain  of  youth. 

She  awoke  late  in  the  morning,  and  it  was  some 
moments  before  she  could  recall  all  that  had  hap 
pened.  Then,  as  she  remembered  her  dreadful  pur 
pose,  there  came  a  strong  rush  of  grateful  feeling  that 
she  had  awakened — that  life  and  its  opportunities 
were  still  hers. 

For  a  moment  she  portrayed  to  herself  what  she 
had  supposed  would  have  happened  that  day — she 


404  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

imagined  herself  lying  white  and  still  —  the  people 
coming  and  going  on  tiptoe  and  speaking  in  hushed 
tones,  as  if  death  were  but  a  troubled  and  easily  bro 
ken  sleep  ;  while  they  looked  at  her  with  faces  in 
which  curiosity  and  horror  were  equally  blended  ; 
she  saw  her  father  staring  at  her  in  utter  despair,  and 
her  mother  trying,  in  a  pitifully  helpless  way,  to 
think  how  appearances  might  still  be  kept  up  and  a 
little  shred  of  respectability  retained.  She  saw  the 
artist  looking  at  her  with  stern,  white  face,  and  heard 
him  mutter  :  "  What  were  you  to  me  that  you  should 
commit  this  awful  deed  and  lay  it  at  my  door,  thus 
blighting  a  life  full  of  the  richest  promise  with  your 
horrible  shadow  ?  " 

"  Thank  God,  thank  God  !  "  she  cried,  passionate 
ly.  "It's  all  like  a  dreadful  dream  and  never  hap 
pened." 

"  Why,  Ida,  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  said  Mrs.  May- 
hew,  coming  in  hastily. 

"  I  had  a  bad  dream,"  said  Ida,  with  something 
like  a  low  sob. 

"  Ida,  I  want  you  to  see  the  doctor,  to-day.  You 
haven't  acted  like  yourself  for  over  two  weeks." 

"  Mother,  what  time  is  it  ?  " 

"  Ten  o'clock  and  after." 

"  Please  draw  the  curtain.     I  want  to  see  the  sun- 

light." 

"  The  sun  is  very  hot  to-day." 

"  Is  it  ?  "  Then  under  her  breath  she  murmured  : 
"  Thank  God,  so  it  is." 

She  arose  and  began  making  her  toilet  slowly,  for 
the  languor  of  her  long  sleep  and  excessive  fatigue 


THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL.  405 

was  on  her  still.  But  thought  was  very  busy.  The 
subject  uppermost  in  her  mind  was  the  promised 
visit  to  old  Mr.  Eltinge,  and  she  resolved  to  go  at 
once,  if  it  were  a  possible  thing.  Mrs.  Mayhew  hav 
ing  again  referred  to  her  purpose  of  sending  for  a 
physician,  Ida  turned  to  her  and  said,  decisively : 

"  Mother,  do  you  not  realize  that  I  am  not  a  child  ? 
What  is  the  use  of  sending  for  a  doctor  when  I  will 
not  see  him  ?  I  ask — I  insist  that  you  and  Mr.  Stan- 
ton  interfere  with  me  no  longer." 

"  My  goodness,  Ida,  shall  not  I,  your  own  mother, 
take  any  care  of  you  ?  " 

"  It  is  too  late  in  the  day  now  to  commence  taking 
care  of  me.  You  have  permitted  me  to  grow  up  so 
wanting  in  mental  and  moral  culture  that  you  natu 
rally  suspect  me  of  the  vilest  action.  Henceforth  I 
take  care  of  myself,  and  act  for  myself;  "  and  she 
abruptly  left  the  room  and  went  to  Mr.  Burleigh's 
office,  requesting  that  the  light  phaeton  and  a  safe 
horse,  such  as  she  could  drive,  should  be  sent  around 
to  the  door  at  once. 

"  Miss  Ida,  you've  not  been  well.  Do  you  think 
you  had  better  go  out  in  the  heat  of  the  day  ?  " 
asked  Mr.  Burleigh,  kindly. 

She  looked  at  him  a  moment,  and  then  said,  a  little 
impulsively,  "  Mr.  Burleigh,  I  thank  you  for  speak 
ing  to  me  in  that  way.  Yes,  I  wish  to  go,  and  think 
I  shall  be  the  better  for  it." 

As  she  entered  the  large  hall,  Van  Berg,  who  had 
been  on  the  watch,  rose  to  greet  her,  but  she  merely 
bowed  politely  and  distantly,  and  passed  at  once 
into  the  dining-room.  After  a  hasty  breakfast  she 


406  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

returned  to  her  room  by  a  side  passage,  and  pre 
pared  for  her  expedition,  paying  no  heed  to  her 
mother's  expostulations. 

Van  Berg  was  on  the  piazza,  when  she  came  down, 
but  she  passed  him  swiftly,  giving  him  no  time  to 
speak  to  her,  and  springing  into  the  phaeton,  drove 
away.  His  anxiety  was  so  deep  that  he  took  pains 
to  note  the  road  she  took,  and  then  waited  impa 
tiently  for  her  return. 

After  driving  several  miles,  and  making  a  few 
inquiries  by  the  way,  Ida  found  herself  approaching 
an  old-fashioned  house  secluded  among  the  hills. 

It  was  on  a  shady  side  road,  into  which  but  few 
eddies  from  the  turbulent  current  of  worldly  life 
found  their  way. 

The  gate  stood  hospitably  open,  and  she  drove  in 
under  the  shade  of  an  enormous  silver  poplar,  whose 
leaves  fluttered  in  the  breathless  summer  air,  as  if 
each  one  possessed  a  separate  life  of  its  own. 

As  she  drew  near  to  the  house  she  saw  old  Mr. 
Eltinge  coming  from  his  garden  to  greet  her. 

"  I  had  about  given  you  up,"  he  said,  "and  so 
you  are  doubly  welcome.  Old  people  are  like  chil 
dren,  and  don't  bear  disappointments  very  well." 

"  Did  you  really  want  to  see  me  very  much  ?  " 
Ida  asked,  as  he  assisted  her  to  alight. 

"Yes,  my  child,"  he  replied,  gravely,  holding  her 
hand  in  a  strong,  warm  grasp.  "  I  felt,  from  your 
manner  last  evening,  you  were  sincere.  You  come 
on  an  errand  that  is  most  pleasing  to  my  Master, 
and  I  welcome  you  in  his  name  as  well  as  my 


THE  PROTESTANT   CONFESSIONAL.  407 

"  Perhaps  if  you  knew  all  you  would  not  welcome 
me,"  she  said  in  a  low  tone,  turning  away. 

"  Only  for  one  cause  could  I  withdraw  my  wel 
come,"  he  said,  still  more  gravely. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  she  asked  in  a  lower  tone,  not 
daring  to  look  at  him. 

"  If  you  were  not  sincere,"  he  replied,  looking  at 
her  keenly. 

Giving  him  her  hand  again,  and  looking  up  into 
his  face,  she  said,  earnestly  : 

"  Mr.  Eltinge,  I  am  sincere.  I  could  not  be  other 
wise  with  you  after  your  words  last  night.  I  come 
to  you  in  great  trouble,  with  a  burdened  heart  and 
conscience,  and  I  shall  tell  you  everything,  and  then 
you  must  advise  me,  for  I  have  no  other  friend  to 
whom  I  can  go." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  have,  my  child,"  said  the  old  man, 
cheerily.  "  The  One  they  called  the  '  Friend  of  sin 
ners  '  is  here  to-day  to  welcome  you,  and  is  more 
ready  to  receive  and  advise  you  than  I  am.  I'm  not 
going  to  do  anything  for  you  but  lead  you  to  him 
who  said,  '  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  are.  heavy 
laden  ;  '  and,  '  Whosoever  cometh  I  will  in  nowise 
cast  out/  " 

"  How  much  you  make  those  words  mean,  as  you 
speak  them,"  faltered  Ida.  "  You  almost  lead  me  to 
feel  that  not  far  away  there  is  some  one,  good  and 
tender-hearted,  who  will  take  me  by  the  hand  with 
reassuring  kindness,  as  you  have." 

"And  you  are  right.  Why,  bless  you,  my 
child,  religion  doesn't  do  us  much  good  until  we 
learn  to  know  our  Lord  as  '  good  and  tender-hearted/ 


408  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

and  so  near,  too,  that  we  can  speak  to  him,  whenever 
we  wish,  as  the  disciples  did  in  old  times.  So  don't 
be  one  bit  discouraged  ;  see,  I'll  fasten  your  horse 
right  here  in  the  shade,  and  by  and  by  I'll  have  him 
,  fed,  for  you  must  spend  the  day  with  us,  and  not  go 
back  until  the  cool  of  the  evening.  It  hasn't  seemed 
hospitable  that  you  should  have  stood  so  long  here 
under  the  trees  ;  and  I  didn't  mean  that  you  should, 
but  things  never  turn  out  as  we  expect." 

"  It  is  often  well  they  don't,"  thought  Ida,  as  she 
looked  around  the  quiet  and  quaintly  beautiful  spot, 
to  which  a  kind  Providence  had  brought  her.  It 
seemed  as  if  her  burden  already  were  beginning  to 
grow  lighter. 

"  Now  come  in,  my  child,  and  tell  me  all  your 
trouble." 

"  Please,  Mr.*  Eltinge,  may  I  not  go  back  with  you 
into  the  garden  ?  " 

"  Yes,  why  not  ?  We  can  talk  there  just  as  well ;  " 
and  he  led  her  to  a  rustic  seat  in  a  shady  walk,  while 
from  a  tool-house  near  he  brought  out  for  himself  a 
chair  that  had  lost  its  back. 

"I'll  lean  against  this  pear-tree,"  he  said.  "It's 
young  and  strong,  and  owes  me  a  good  turn.  Now, 
my  child,  tell  me  what  you  think  best,  and  then  I'll 
tell  you  of  One  whose  word  and  touch  cures  every 
trouble." 

But  poor  Ida  had  sudden  and  strong  misgivings. 
As  she  saw  the  old  gentleman  surrounded  by  his 
flowers  and  fruits,  as  she  glanced  hesitatingly  into  his 
serene,  quiet  face,  from  which  the  fire  and  passion  of 
youth  had  long  since  faded,  she  thought.  "  So  Adam 


THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL.  409 

might  have  looked  had  he  never  sinned  but  grown 
old  in  his  beautiful  garden.  This  aged  man,  who 
lives  nearer  heaven  than  earth,  can't  understand  my 
wicked,  passionate  heart.  My  story  will  only  shock 
and  pain  hizn,  and  it's  a  shame  to  pollute  this  place 
with  such  a  story." 

"  You  spoke  as  if  you  were^  alone  and  friendless  in 
the  world,"  said  Mr.  Eltinge,  trying  to  help  her 
make  a  beginning.  "  Are  you  an  orphan  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Ida,  with  rising  color,  and  averting 
her  face.  "  My  parents  are  both  living." 

"  And  yet  you  cannot  go  to  them  ?  Poor  child  ! 
That  is  the  worst  kind  of  orphanage." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Eltinge,  this  place  seems  like  the  garden 
of  Eden,  and  I  am  bringing  into  it  a  heart  full  of 
trouble  and  wickedness." 

"  Well,  my  child,"  replied  the  old  gentleman,  with 
a  smile.  "  I've  brought  here  a  heart  full  of  trouble 
and  wickedness  many  a  time,  so  you  need  not  fear 
hurting  the  garden." 

"  But  I  fear  I  shall  pain  and  shock  you." 

"  I  hope  you  will.  I'm  going  to  feel  with  and  for 
you.  What's  the  good  of  my  sitting  here  like  a 
post  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Ida,  desperately,  "  I  promised  to 
tell  you  everything,  and  I  will.  If  there  is  any 
chance  for  me  I'll  then  know  it,  for  you  will  not  de-. 
ceive  me.  Somehow,  what  I  am  and  what  I  have  to 
say  seemed  in  such  sad  contrast  with  you  and  your 
garden  that  I  became  afraid.  You  asked  about  my 
parents.  My  father  is  a  very  unhappy  man.  He 
seems  to  have  lost  hope  and  courage.  I  now  begin 
18 


410  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

to  see  that  I  have  been  chiefly  to  blame  for  this.  I 
do  nothing  for  his  comfort.  Indeed,  I  have  been  so 
occupied  with  myself  and  my  own  pleasures  that  I 
have  given  him  little  thought.  He  does  not  spend 
much  of  his  time  at  home,  and  when  I  saw  him  he 
was  always  tired,  sad,  and  moody.  He  seemed  to 
possess  nothing  that  could  minister  to  my  pride  and 
pleasure  save  money,  and  I  took  that  freely,  with 
scarcely  even  thanks  in  return. 

"  I  don't  like  to  speak  against  mother,  but  truth 
compels  me  to  add  that  she  acts  much  in  the  same 
way.  I  don't  think  she  loves  papa.  Perhaps  our 
treatment  is  the  chief  reason  why  life,  seemingly, 
has  become  to  him  a  burden.  When  he's  not  busy 
in  the  office  he  drinks,  and  drinks,  and  I  fear  it 
is  only  to  forget  his  trouble.  Once  or  twice  this 
summer  he  has  looked  like  a  man,  and  appeared 
capable  of  throwing  off  this  destroying  habit,  and 
then  by  my  wretched  folly  I  made  him  do  worse 
than  ever,"  and  she  burst  into  a  remorseful  passion 
of  tears. 

"  That's  right,  my  child,"  said  Mr.  Eltinge,  taking 
off  his  spectacles  that  he  might  wipe  his  sympathetic 
eyes  ;  "  you  were  very  much  to  blame.  Thank  God, 
there  are  no  Pharisees  in  this  garden.  God  bless 
you  ;  go  on." 

"  This  that  I've  told  you  about  my  father  ought 
to  be  my  chief  trouble,  but  it  isn't,"  faltered  Ida.  "  I 
fear  you  won't  understand  me  very  well  now,  and 
you  certainly  will  never  be  able  to  understand  how  I 
could  be  tempted  to  do  something  at  the  very 
thought  of  which  I  now  shudder." 


THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL. 

"  No  matter  ;  my  Master  can  understand  it  all  if  I 
can't.  He's  listening,  too,  remember." 

"  It  frightens  me  to  think  so,"  said  Ida,  in  an  awed, 
trembling  tone. 

"That's  because  you  don't  know  him.  If  you 
were  severely  wounded,  would  you  be  frightened  to 
know  a  good  physician  was  right  at  hand  to  heal 
you  ?  " 

"  But  isn't  God  too  infinite  and  far  away  to  listen 
to  the  story  of  my  weakness  and  folly  ?  I  dare  not 
think  of  him.  My  difficulty  is  just  this — he  is  God, 
and  what  am  I  ?  " 

"  One  of  his  little  children,  my  dear.  Yes,  he 
is  infinite,  but  not  far  away.  In  the  worst  of  my 
weakness  and  folly  he  listened  patiently,  and  helped 
me  out  of  my  trouble.  How  are  you  going  to  get 
over  this  fact  ?  He  has  listened  to  and  helped  mul 
titudes  of  others  in  every  kind  of  trouble  and  wrong. 
How  are  you  going  to  get  over  these  facts  ?  " 

Ida  slowly  wiped  her  eyes.  Her  face  grew  very 
pale,  and  she  looked  at  Mr.  Eltinge  steadily  and 
earnestly,  as  if  to  gather  from  his  expression  and 
manner,  as  well  as  words,  the  precise  effect  of  her  con 
fession. 

"  Mr.  Eltinge,"  she  said,  "  at  this  time  yesterday  I 
did  not  expect  to  be  alive  to-day.  I  expected  to  be 
dead,  and  by  my  own  hand.  Will  God  forgive  such 
wickedness  ?  " 

"Dead!"  exclaimed  the  old  gentleman,  starting 
up. 

"  Yes,"  said  Ida,  growing  still  paler  and  trembling 
with  apprehension,  but  still  looking  fixedly  at  Mr.  El- 


412  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

tinge  as  if  she  would  learn  from  his  face  whether  she 
could  hope  or  must  despair  because  of  her  intended 
crime. 

"  And  what  changed  your  awful  purpose,  my 
child  ?"  he  said,  very  gravely. 

"  Your  words  at  the  prayer-meeting  last  night." 

The  old  gentleman  removed  his  hat  and  reverently 
bowed  his  head.  "  O  God,"  he  murmured,  "thou 
hast  been  merciful  to  me  all  my  days ;  I  thank  thee 
for  this  crowning  mercy." 

"  But  will  God  be  merciful  to  me  ?  "  cried  Ida,  in  a 
tone  of  sharp  agony. 

The  old  man  came  to  her  side,  and  placing  his 
hands  on  her  head  spoke  with  almost  the  authority 
and  solemnity  of  one  of  God's  ancient  prophets. 

"Yes,  my  child,  yes,  he  will  be  merciful  unto 
you — he  will  forgive  you.  But  in  your  deep  need 
you  require  more  than  the  assurance  of  a  poor  sinful 
mortal  like  yourself.  Listen  to  God's  own  word : 
*  Thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhabiteth 
eternity,  whose  name  is  Holy :  I  dwell  in  the  high 
and  holy  place,  with  him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite  and 
humble  spirit,  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the  humble,  and 
to  revive  the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones.' 

"  '  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord 
pitieth  them  that  fear  him.' 

"  '  If  we  confess  our  sins  he  is  faithful  and  just  to 
forgive  us  our  sins ;  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his 
Son,  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin.'  God  answers  your 
question  himself,  my  child." 

"  Oh,  may  he  bless  you  for  your  kindness  to  me  ! 
It  has  saved  me  from  despair  and  death,"  sobbed 


THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL. 

Ida,  burying  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  giving  way  to 
the  natural  expression  of  feeling  that  ever  relieves  a 
heart  that  has  long  been  overburdened. 

For  a  few  moments  Mr.  Eltinge  said  nothing,  but 
gently  stroked  the  bowed  head  as  he  might  caress  a 
daughter  of  his  own.  At  last  he  asked,  with  a  voice 
that  was  broken  from  sympathy  with  her  emotion, 

"  How  about  my  Master,  whose  kind  providence 
has  brought  all  this  about  ?  " 

Ida  gradually  became  more  quiet,  and  as  soon  as 
she  could  trust  herself  to  speak  she  lifted  her  head 
and  answered  : 

"  Mr.  Eltinge,  I  think  I  can  learn  to  love  God  as 
you  portray  him  to  me.  But  in  my  imperfection  and 
wickedness  I  have  not  dared  to  think  of  him  till  I 
came  here." 

"  Now,  isn't  that  just  like  the  devil's  work  !  "  ex 
claimed  Mr.  Eltinge.  "  It  was  our  imperfection  and 
wickedness  that  brought  Christ  to  our  rescue,  and  yet 
you  have  been  made  to  believe  that  your  chief  claim 
upon  our  Divine  Friend  is  a  hopeless  barrier  against 
you  !  " 

"  Mr.  Eltinge,"  said  Ida,  slowly,  as  if  she  were  try 
ing  to  be  sure  that  each  word  expressed  her  thought, 
"  it  was  that  word,  friend,  as  you  used  it  last  night, 
that  caught  my  ear  and  revived  my  hopes.  I  now 
believe  that  if  you  had  spoken  only  of  duty  or  truth,  or 
even  of  God  in  the  ordinary  way,  I  should  now  be  " — 
she  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and  shuddered — "  I 
should  not  be  in  this  sunny  garden  with  the  memory 
that  your  hands  have  rested  on  my  head  in  blessing. 
If  I  am  to  live,  I  shall  need,  above  all  things,  a  friend, 


414  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

and  a  very  patient  and  helpful  one,  or  else  my  bur 
den  will  be  heavier  than  I  can  carry.  I  have  told 
you  about  my  parents,  and  you  thus  know  what  I 
must  look  forward  to  in  my  own  home.  But  such  is 
my  weakness  and  folly,  I  have  a  far  worse  trouble 
than  that.  You  may  smile  at  it  and  think  that  time 
will  bring  speedy  relief.  Perhaps  it  will — I  hope  so. 
I  feel  that  I  know  so  little  about  myself  and  every 
thing  else  that  I  can  never  be  sure  of  anything  again. 
Mr.  Eltinge,  I  have  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  give 
my  whole  heart's  love  to  a  man  who  despises  me. 
At  first  he  seemed  somewhat  attracted,  but  he  soon 
discovered  how  imperfect  and  ignorant  I  was,  and 
coldly  withdrew.  He  is  now  paying  his  addresses,  I 
believe,  to  another  lady,  and  I  must  admit  that  she 
is  a  lovely  girl,  and  every  way  worthy  of  him.  I 
think  she  will  return  his  regard,  if  she  does  not 
already.  But  whether  she  does  or  no  cannot  matter, 
for  he  is  so  far  my  superior  in  every  respect  that  he 
would  never  think  of  me  again.  In  order  to  hide  my 
foolish,  hopeless  passion,  I  received  attentions  from 
another  man  that  I  detested,  and  who  has  since 
proved  himself  an  utter  villain,  but  it  so  happened 
that  my  name  became  so  closely  associated  with  this 
low  fellow,  that  when  my  heart  was  breaking  for 
another  reason,  all  thought  that  it  was  because  I 
was  infatuated  with  a  man  I  loathed.  Even  Mr. 
Van  Berg  thought  so,  and  I  intended  to  compel  him 
to  respect  me,  or  at  least  to  think  better  of  me,  even 
if  I  had  to  die  to  carry  out  my  purpose.  I  was  des 
perate  and  blind  with  disappointment  and  despair. 
To  a  strong  man,  I  suppose,  these  things  do  not 


THE   PROTESTANT   CONFESSIONAL. 


415 


count  so  greatly,  but  I'm  inclined  to  think  that  with 
us  poor  women  our  heart-life  is  everything.  I  fairly 
shiver  at  the  thought  of  the  future.  How  can  I 
carry  this  heavy  burden,  year  after  year  ?  Oh,  how 
can  I  bear  it  ?  How  can  I  bear  it  ?  "  and  her  eyes 
became  full  of  desperate  trouble  again,  at  the  pros 
pect  before  her. 

"  Well,  my  dear,"  said  Mr.  Eltinge  in  broken 
tones,  "  my  heart  goes  out  to  you  in  sympathy 
as  if  you  were  my  own  daughter,  but  old  James 
Eltinge  can  do  but  little  towards  curing  your  deep 
troubles." 

"  I  do  not  hope  to  be  cured, "  said  Ida,  despond 
ently,  "  but  I  would  be  very  glad  if  I  could  think 
my  life  would  not  be  a  burden  to  myself  and 
others." 

Mr.  Eltinge  pondered  a  few  moments,  and  then 
brightened  up,  as  if  a  pleasant  thought  had  struck 
him. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  this  pear-tree  against 
which  I'm  leaning?  "  he  asked.  "  You  remember  I 
said  it  owed  me  a  good  turn,  and  perhaps  I  can  get 
my  best  fruit  from  it  to-day." 

"  I  think  it's  a  pretty  tree,"  said  Ida,  wonderingly ; 
"  and  now  I  notice  that  there  are  some  fine  pears  on 
it." 

."  Yes,  and  they  are  about  ripe.  Let  us  see  if 
we  can't  reverse  the  old  story  with  which  the  Bible 
commences.  The  man  shall  tempt  the  woman  this 
time,  and  this  shall  be  a  tree  of  the  knowledge  of 
good,  not  of  evil.  Poor  child,  you  know  enough 
about  that  already ;  "  and  the  old  gentleman  climbed 


41 6  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

up  on  his  chair,  and  with  his  cane  loosened  a  large 
yellow  pear  with  a  crimson  blush  on  its  sunny 
side. 

"  Take  my  hat  and  catch  it,"  he  had  said  to  Ida  ; 
and  she  did  so. 

"  Now,  I've  made  you  an  accomplice  already,  and 
so  you  may  as  well  eat  the  pear  while  I  tell  you  a 
bit  of  history  concerning  this  tree.  It  may  help  me 
to  suggest  some  very  encouraging  truths." 

But  Ida  held  her  pear  and  looked  wistfully  at  the 
speaker.  Her  heart  was  still  too  sore  to  enter  into 
the  half-playful  manner  by  which  he  sought  to  give  a 
less  gloomy  cast  to  her  thoughts. 

"  Some  years  ago,"  said  Mr.  Eltinge,  resuming  his 
seat,  "  we  had  a  night  of  darkness  and  violent  storm 
like  that  through  which  you,  poor  child,  have  just 
passed.  The  garden  fence  was  blown  down,  and  some 
stray  cattle  got  in  and  made  sad  havoc.  This  pear-tree 
was  a  little  thing  then,  and  when  I  came  out  in  the 
morning  it  was  in  a  bad  plight,  I  can  tell  you.  The 
wind  had  snapped  off  the  top,  and  it  lay  withering  on 
the  ground.  Worse  than  this,  one  of  the  cattle  had 
stepped  on  it,  bruising  it  severely,  and  half  breaking 
it  off  near  the  root.  I  don't  know  which  of  the 
young  men  you  have  named  this  unruly  beast  typifies 
— both  of  'em,  I'm  inclined  to  think." 

Here  Ida  shook  her  head  in  protest  against  Van 
Berg  being  classed  with  Sibley,  and  at  the  same  time 
could  not  forbear  the  glimmer  of  a  smile  at  the  old 
man's  homely  imagery. 

"  Well,  according  to  my  creed,"  continued  Mr. 
Eltinge,  "  'while  there's  life  there's  hope/  so  I  lifted 


THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL. 


417 


up  the  poor,  prostrate  little  tree,  and  tied  it  to  a 
stout  stake.  Then  I  got  grafting  wax  and  covered 
the  bruises  and  broken  places,  and  finally  tied  all  up 
as  carefully  as  I  used  to  my  boys'  fingers  when  they 
cut  them,  sixty  odd  years  ago.  And  now  mark,  my 
child  ;  I  had  done  all  that  I  could  do.  I  couldn't 
make  the  wounds  heal  or  even  a  new  twig  start ;  and 
yet  here  is  a  stately  young  tree  beginning  to  bear 
delicious  fruit.  Nature  took  my  sorry-looking  little 
case  in  hand,  and  slowly  at  first,  but  by  and  by  with 
increased  vigor  and  rapidity,  she  developed  what  you 
see.  I  have  an  affection  for  this  tree,  and  like  to 
lean  against  it,  and  sometimes  I  half  fancy  it  likes  to 
have  me." 

"  I  should  think  it  ought  to,"  said  Ida,  heartily, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes,  but  a  smile  on  her  lips. 

"  Well,  now,  my  child,  to  go  on  with  my  parable, 
what  nature  was  to  this  pear-tree,  nature's  God  must 
be  to  you.  We  cannot  find  in  nature  nor  in  the  hap 
piest  human  love  that  which  can  satisfy  our  deep 
spiritual  need  ;  but  we  can  find  all  in  him  who  came 
from  heaven  in  our  behalf.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  pa 
tient,  helpful  Friend  you  need.  He  brings  more  than 
joy — even  the  peace  and  rest  that  follow  full  trust 
in  One  pledged  to  take  care  of  us  and  make  every 
thing  turn  out  for  the  best.  He  says  of  those  who 
come  to  him,  *  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life,  and  they 
shall  never  perish.'  If  you  will  take  this  life  from 
him  it  will  never  be  a  burden  to  you,  and  it  will  al 
ways  be  a  blessing  to  others." 

"  I  fear  I  don't  quite  understand  you,  Mr.  Eltinge. 
What  is  this  '  eternal  life  ' — this  new,  added  life 
18* 


41 8  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

which  you  say  Christ  offers,  and  which  I'm  sure  I'd 
be  very  glad  to  take  if  I  knew  how  ?  " 

"  Let  Jesus  answer  you  himself,  my  child.  He 
said  plainly :  *  This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might 
know  thee  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
thou  hast  sent.'  Perhaps  I  can  make  our  Lord's 
words  clearer  from  your  own  experience,  if  you  will 
permit  me  to  refer  to  your  feelings  toward  the  man 
who,  whether  worthy  or  no,  has  won  your  love. 
Suppose  he  is  all  you  imagine,  and  that  he  lavished 
on  you  the  best  treasures  of  his  heart ;  would  not  life 
at  his  side  seem  life  in  very  truth,  and  life  elsewhere 
but  mere  existence  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Ida,  with  bowed  head  and  pale 
cheeks.  "  I  begin  to  understand  you  now.  It  seems 
to  me  that  I  could  welcome  sorrow,  poverty,  and 
even  death,  at  his  side,  and  call  life  rich  and  full. 
But  as  it  is — oh,  Mr.  Eltinge,  teach  me  your  faith, 
lest  I  give  way  to  despair  again  !  " 

"  Poor  child  !  poor  child  !  Don't  my  white  hairs 
teach  you  that  I  am  on  the  threshold  of  the  home  in 
which  '  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  '  ?  " 

"  I  envy  you,"  cried  Ida,  almost  passionately. 
"  Think  how  far  I  am  from  that  home  !  " 

"  Well,  you  are  not  far  from  the  Divine  Friend 
who  leads  to  that  home,  and  when  you  come  to  know 
him  and  his  love  your  life  will  begin  to  grow  richer 
and  sweeter  and  fuller  to  all  eternity.  This  is  eternal 
life.  It's  knowing  the  God  who  loves  us  and  whom 
we  have  learned  to  love.  It's  not  living  on  and  on 
forever  in  a  beautiful  heaven,  any  more  than  the 
earthly  life  you  crave  is  living  on  and  on  in  a  pleasant 


THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL. 

home  such  as  the  man  of  your  heart  might  provide. 
The  true  life  is  the  presence  of  the  loved  one  himself, 
and  all  that  he  is  to  us  and  all  that  he  can  do  for  us  ; 
and  if  a  mortal  and  finite  creature  seems  to  you  so 
able  to  impart  that  life,  how  infinitely  more  blessed 
will  the  life  eventually  be  which  comes  from  a  God 
of  boundless  power  and  boundless  love  !  " 

"  Alas,  Mr.  Eltinge,  God  seems  too  boundless." 

"Did  God  seem  too  boundless  to  the  little  chil 
dren  whom  he  took  in  his  arms  and  blessed  ?  " 

"Oh  that  I  had  been  one  of  them!"  said  Ida, 
with  a  sudden  rush  of  tears. 

"  Come,  my  dear  young  friend,  do  not  expect  too 
much  of  yourself  to-day.  You  cannot  take  in  all 
this  truth  at  once,  any  more  than  this  young  pear- 
tree  could  take  all  the  dew  and  sunshine,  cold  and 
heat  (for  autumn  frosts  are  needed  as  well  as  spring 
showers)  that  nature  had  in  store  for  it,  but  its  life 
was  assured  from  the  moment  it  was  able  to  receive 
nature's  restoring  influences.  So  with  greater  cer 
tainty  a  happy,  useful  life  is  assured  to  you  as  soon 
as  you  receive  Jesus  Christ  as  your  Saviour,  Teacher, 
and  Life-giver.  '  As  many  as  received  him,  to  them 
gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,'  and  I 
assure  you  the  Great  King  will  look  after  his  children 
right  royally.  But  you  don't  know  him  very  well 
yet,  and  so  cannot  have  the  life  which  flows  from  his 
fulness  of  life.  Suppose  you  come  here  mornings, 
and  we'll  read  together  the  story  of  Jesus,  just  as  it 
is  told  in  the  New  Testament,  and  I  don't  believe  it 
will  be  long  before  you  will  say  to  me  that  my  Friend 
is  yours  also.  Now,  come  up  to  the  house  and  I'll 


420 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


introduce  you  to  my  sister.  You  think  me  a  saint ; 
but  I'll  show  you  what  a  human  appetite  I  have." 

"  I  hear  a  brook  near  by,"  said  Ida ;  "  may  I  not 
go  to  it  and  bathe  my  face  ?  " 

"Yes,  do  what  you  like  best  while  here.  Would 
you  rather  bathe  in  the  brook  than  at  the  house  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed. .  Everything  seems  sacred  here,  and 
I  can  imagine  the  brook  yonder  to  be  a  rill  from  the 
Jordan." 

"Don't  be  superstitious  and  sentimental,"  said  the 
old  gentleman,  shaking  his  head  gravely.  "  The  life 
of  a  Christian  means  honest,  patient  work,  and  Christ's 
blood  alone  can  wash  us  till  we  are  whiter  than  snow." 

Ida's  face  grew  earnest  and  noble  as  she  stepped  to 
the  symbolic  tree  and  placed  her  hand  on  one  of  its 
lower  branches. 

"Mr.  Eltinge,"  she  said  gently  and  gravely,  "as 
this  broken,  wounded  tree  received  all  the  help  nature 
gave  it,  so  I,  more  bruised  and  broken,  will  try  to  re 
ceive  all  the  help  Christ  will  give  me  to  bear  my  bur 
den  and  live  a  life  pleasing  to  him.  I  shall  be  very 
glad  indeed  to  come  here  and  learn  to  know  him  bet 
ter  under  your  most  kind  and  faithful  teaching,  and  as 
I  learn,  I  will  try  to  do  my  best ;  but  oh,  Mr.  Eltinge, 
you  can't  realize  how  very  weak  and  imperfect — how 
ignorant  and  full  of  faults  I  am  !  " 

"Just  so  the  poor  little  tree  might  have  spoken  if 
it  had  had  a  voice.  Indeed  I  thought  it  would  die. 
But  now  look  at  the  fruit  over  your  head.  You  shall 
take  some  of  it  home,  and  every  pear  will  be  a  ser 
mon  to  you — a  juicy  one,  too.  If  you  will  do  as  you 
say,  my  child,  all  will  be  well." 


THE  PROTESTANT  CONFESSIONAL. 


421 


She  bathed  her  tear-stained  face  in  the  brook,  and 
came  back  looking  fairer  than  any  flower  of  the  gar 
den.  Then  they  went  up  to  the  old-fashioned  house. 

"  Mydear,  this  is  my  sister,  Miss  Eltinge,"  he  said, 
presenting  a  white-haired  old  lady,  who  was  still  evi 
dently  much  younger  than  her  brother.  Then,  turn 
ing  suddenly  around  in  comical  dismay,  he  said, 
"  Why,  bless  you,  my  child,  I  don't  know  your  name  ! 
Well,  well,  no  matter  !  I  know  yon.  There  are  peo 
ple  whose  names  I've  known  half  my  life,  and  yet  I 
don't  know  them  and  don't  trust  'em." 

"  My  name  is  Ida  Mayhew,"  said  the  young  girl 
simply.  "  I  heard  Mr.  Eltinge  speak  at  the  prayer- 
meeting  last  night  in  such  a  way  that  I  wanted  to  see 
him  and  ask  his  help  and  advice,  and  he  has  been 
very,  very  kind  to  me.  He  can  tell  you  all." 

"Yes,  if  he  chooses,"  said  the  old  gentleman 
with  a  laugh.  "  Sister  knows  me  too  well  in  my 
character  of  father  confessor  to  expect  me  to  tell 
everything." 

They  made  her  at  home  as  the  simple  and  well- 
bred  only  can  do. 

After  dinner  Miss  Eltinge  tried  to  entertain  her 
for  a  while,  but  at  last  said,  with  appreciative  tact : 

"  My  dear,  I  think  you  will  best  enjoy  yourself  if 
you  are  left  to  range  the  old  house  and  place  at  will. 
After  my  brother  has  rested  he  will  join  you  again." 

Ida  was  glad  to  be  alone.  She  had  made  a  promise 
of  far-reaching  and  vital  import  that  morning.  Life 
was  taking  on  new  aspects  that  were  so  unfamiliar 
that  she  was  bewildered.  She  went  back  to  the  gar 
den,  and,  taking  Mr.  Eltinge's  seat,  leaned  against 


422  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

the  emblematic  pear-tree,  which  she  curiously  began 
to  associate  with  herself,  and  for  which  she  was 
already  conscious  of  something  like  affection. 

"  Oh,"  she  sighed,  "if  my  life  would  only  come 
to  abound  with  deeds  corresponding  to  the  fruit  that 
is  bending  these  boughs  above  me,  it  could  not  be  a 
burden,  though  it  might  be  very  sad  and  lonely.  I 
now  begin  to  understand  Jennie  Burton — her  con 
stant  effort  in  behalf  of  others.  But  he  will  comfort 
her  before  long.  Her  dark  days  are  nearly  over.  No 
matter  how  deep  or  great  her  troubles  may  have 
been,  they  must  vanish  in  the  sunshine  of  such  a 
man's  love.  I  wonder  if  he  has  spoken  plainly  yet 
— but  what  need  of  words  ?  His  eyes  and  manner 
have  told  her  all  a  hundred  times.  I  wish  she  could 
be  my  friend,  I  wish  I  could  speak  to  her  plainly,  for 
she  is  so  kind  and  wise  ;  but  I  must  shun  her,  or  else 
she'll  discover  the  secret  that  I'd  hide  from  her  even 
more  carefully  than  from  him,  if  such  a  thing  were 
possible.  I  wonder  if  they  ever  met  before  they 
came  here.  I  never  saw  one  human  being  look  at 
another  as  she  sometimes  looks  at  him.  I  believe 
that  deep  in  her  heart  she  fairly  idolizes  him,  although 
her  singular  self-control  enables  her,  as  a  general 
thing,  to  treat  him  with  the  ease  and  frankness  of  a 
friend.  Well,  she  may  love  him  more  deeply  than  1 1 
do  because  possessing  a  deeper  nature.  I  can  but 
give  all  I  have.  But  I  think  my  love  would  be  like 
the  little  brook  over  there.  It's  not  very  deep  or 
obtrusive,  but  Mr.  Eltinge  says  it  has  never  failed. 
Well,  well !  these  are  not  the  thoughts  for  me,  though 
how  I  can  help  them  I  cannot  tell.  I  will  try  to  win 


THE  PROTESTANT   CONFESSIONAL. 


423 


a  little  respect  from  him  before  we  part,  and  then  my 
life,  like  this  pear-tree,  must  be  full  of  good  deeds 
for  those  who  have  the  best  right  to  receive  them/' 
and  taking  a  small  pen-knife  from  her  pocket  she 
mounted  the  chair,  and  carved  within  the  two  lower 
branches  where  they  could  not  easily  be  discovered 
the  words, 

"  Ida  Mayhew." 


424 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

THE  CORNER-STONE  OF  CHARACTER. 

AFTER  the  characteristic  act  by  which  Ida  had 
identified  the  tree — once  so  bruised  and  bro 
ken — with  herself,  she  sat  down  again  at  its  foot  and 
thought  long  and  deeply.  The  deep  hush  and  quiet  of 
the  quaint  old  garden  was  just  what  she  needed  after 
the  delirium  of  her  passion  and  despair.  Her  pulse 
began  to  grow  more  even,  and  her  beautiful  face 
sweet  and  noble  with  the  better  thoughts  she  now 
was  entertaining.  As  she  sat  there  leaning  her  head 
against  the  bole  of  the  tree,  the  shadows  of  the  leaves 
above  deepening  and  brightening  across  her  pale 
features,  and  her  large,  dark  eyes  often  growing  hu 
mid  with  sympathy  with  her  thoughts,  she  made  as 
fair  a  picture  as  could  Eve  herself,  were  she  dreaming 
over  her  lost  garden-home.  At  last  she  said  slowly  : 
"  I  wonder  if  it  will  be  possible  for  a  Divine  love 
gradually  to  supplant  a  human  love  ?  '  Whom  to 
know  is  eternal  life.'  This  hope  seems  to  be  my  only 
hope — my  only  remedy,  my  one  chance.  I  must 
soon  go  back  to  the  city,  where  I  cannot  see  good  old 
Mr.  Eltinge,  where  I  will  no  longer  have  the  excite 
ment  of  occasionally  meeting  Mr.  Van  Berg,  where  I 
shall  be  face  to  face  with  only  the  hard,  prosaic  dif- 


THE    CORNER-STONE   OF   CHARACTER.         425 

ficulties  that  will  abound  in  the  world  without,  but 
especially  in  my  own  home.  I  plainly  foresee  that 
I  shall  become  bitter,  selfish,  and  reckless  again, 
unless  I  find  such  a  Friend  as  Mr.  Eltinge  describes, 
who  will  give  me  daily  and  positive  help  ;  a  mere 
decorous,  formal  religion  will  be  of  no  more  use  to 
me  than  pictures  of  bread  to  the  famishing.  I  must 
have  a  strong,  patient  Friend  who  will  see  me  through 
my  troubles,  or  I'm  lost.  I  may  even  grow  as  des 
perate  and  wicked  as  I  have  been  again,"  and  she 
buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and  fairly  trembled  with 
apprehension, 

"  Come,  my  child,  cheer  up  !  All  will  end  well  yet. 
Take  an  old  man's  word  for  it.  I've  lived  through 
several  troubles  that  I  thought  would  finish  me, 
thanks  to  the  good  Lord,  and  here  I  am  .now,  safe 
and  sound  and  in  the  possession  of  two  good  homes 
— this  one  and  the  better  one  over  the  river  they  say 
is  so  dark.  I  don't  believe  it's  much  more  of  a  river 
to  the  Christian  than  yonder  little  brook  ;  but  I  can 
tell  you,  my  child,  we'll  find  a  wonderful  difference 
between  the  two  shores." 

Ida  found  that  the  old  gentleman  had  joined  her 
unperceived,  and  she  told  him  of  her  fears. 

"Now,  don't  worry,"  he  answered,  "  about  what 
will  happen  when  you  go  back  to  the  city.  Christ 
himself  has  said  :  *  Sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil 
thereof.'  Your  whole  duty  is  to  do  your  best  now, 
and  he'll  take  care  of  the  future.  He  did  not  call  him- 
self  the  '  Good  Shepherd  '  for  nothing,  as  I,  and  mil 
lions  of  others,  know  from  experience.  He'll  see  you 
over  all  the  hard  places,  if  you  ask  him  to,  and  just 


426  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

follow  patiently.  You  may  not  be  able  to  see  the  way 
or  know  where  he  is  leading  you,  any  more  than  the 
sheep  ;  but  the  path,  however  flinty  and  thorny,  will 
end  in  the  fold.  Of  that  be  assured."  And  he  gave 
her  one  or  two  sad  chapters  from  his  own  life  of  which 
he  could  now  speak  calmly  and  understandingly.  *' 

As  they  were  about  to  part,  Ida  said  :  "  Mr.  El- 
tinge,  I'm  so  ignorant  that  I  have  not  the  remotest 
idea  how  to  commence  this  Christian  life.  I  greatly 
wish  to  form  a  character  worthy  of  respect,  but  I 
don't  know  how  to  set  about  it." 

"  Commence  by  living  simple  and  true,  my  dear. 
Truthfulness  is  the  corner-stone  of  the  character  that 
men  most  respect  and  God  will  honor.  None  of  us 
can  be  perfect,  but  we  can  all  be  honest,  and  pretend 
to  be  no  better  than  we  are.  Just  simply  follow  your 
conscience,  pray  daily  for  light  and  guidance,  and 
do  the  best  you  can.  Live  up  to  the  light  as  you  get 
it,  and  remember  the  good  Lord  will  be  as  patient 
with  you  as  a  mother  with  her  baby  that  is  just  learn 
ing  to  walk.  Be  truthful  and  sincere  as  you  have 
been  with  me  to-day,  and  all  will  be  well." 

Then  he  brought  a  step-ladder,  and  filled  a  little 
basket  with  the  pears.  "  They'll  ripen  nicely  in  your 
drawer,"  he  said,  "  and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  you 
found  'em  kind  of  nourishing  to  your  soul  as  well  as 
body,  now  you  know  how  they  grew." 

With  a  promise  to  come  on  the  morrow  Ida  drove 
away  more  cheered  and  comforted  than  she  had 
thought  it  possible  ever  to  be  again.  But  as  she 
approached  the  hotel  piazza.,  and  saw  the  artist  talk 
ing  with  Jennie  Burton,  she  experienced  a  sinking  of 


THE    CORNER-STONE   OF    CHARACTER.         437 

heart  that  taught  her  how  difficult  her  path  must  be 
at  best. 

Van  Berg  hastened  down  eagerly  to  assist  her  to 
alight,  for  her  reappearance  lifted  a  terrible  load  of 
anxiety  from  his  mind.  In  spite  of  herself  the  color 
rushed  into  the  cheeks  which  of  late  had  become  so 
pale,  and  the  hand  she  gave  him  trembled  as  he 
helped  her  from  the  phaeton. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you 
again.  I've  been  oppressed  with  fear  all  day,"  he 
could  not  forbear  saying,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  suppose  you  naturally  felt  that  you  could  not 
trust  me,"  she  replied,  averting  her  face.  "  I've  been 
spending  the  day  with  a  friend." 

"  Forgive  me,"  he  said  eagerly.  "  I  seem  fated 
to  wound  you,  but  I  wish  they  might  hereafter  be 
the  wounds  of  a  friend." 

She  would  not  trust  herself  to  look  up  till  she  be 
came  more  composed,  but  could  not  resist  the  im 
pulse  to  say  :  "  Do  friends  give  only  wounds  ?  " 

Van  Berg  bit  his  lip  and  followed  her  slowly  up 
the  steps. 

"  I  see  from  your  basket,"  said  Miss  Burton,  kind 
ly,  "that  you  have  been  foraging.  I  hope  you  had 
good  success." 

"Yes,  I  think  I've  been  successful,"  replied  Ida, 
who  was  desperately  sorry  that  Miss  Burton  had  in 
tercepted  her  and  must  see  her  burning  cheeks.  "  I 
have  not  found  roses,  as  you  did,  but  perhaps  these 
are  more  in  keeping  with  my  prosaic  and  material 
nature  ;  "  and  she  lifted  the  cover  and  offered  the  fruit. 

"You  treat  me  better  than  I  did  you,"  said  Miss 


428  A  FACE   ILLUMINED. 

Burton,  smilingly,  and  ignoring  an  implied  satire 
which  Ida  had  not  intended.  "  I  did  not  give  you 
any  of  my  roses." 

Ida  shot  a  side  glance  at  the  artist  which  said  to 
him  plainly : 

"  But  Mr.  Van  Berg  did,"  and  he  flushed  deeply. 

Then  shq  selected  a  superb  pear,  and  after  looking 
at  it  keenly  a  moment,  handed  it  to  him  with  the  low 
words : 

"  I  think  you  will  find  that  no  worm  has  been  in 
that." 

He  took  it  with  evident  embarrassment  and  was 
about  to  speak  eagerly,  but  she  passed  quickly  in,  and 
went  to  her  room. 

"I  am  justly  punished,"  said  Van  Berg  frankly. 
"  Miss  Burton,  please  let  me  explain  her  allusion." 

"  I  would  rather  you  would  not,"  she  replied 
promptly,  "  for  Miss  Mayhew  made  it  in  a  low  tone, 
showing  that  she  intended  it  for  your  ear  only." 

"  Well,  then  I  must  content  myself  by  saying  that 
standing  near  this  spot,  not  long  since,  I  acted  like  a 
fool." 

"  It's  an  excellent  sign  of  wisdom,  Mr.  Van  Berg," 
she  said  laughingly,  "  that  you  have  discovered  the 
fact.  The  only  fools  to  be  despaired  of  are  those 
who  never  find  themselves  out." 

"  Did  you  ever  do  a  very  foolish  thing,  Miss  Jen 
nie  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  a  very  foolish  thing  for  me  to  listen 
to  any  more  of  such  monstrous  flattery.  Or  perhaps 
you  are  satirical  and  take  this  roundabout  way  of  tell 
ing  me  that  I'm  human  like  yourself.  I'm  going 


THE    CORNER-STONE   OF   CHARACTER.         429 

down  to  supper,  for  I  prefer  Mr.  Burleigh's  toast  to 
such  doubtful  compliments." 

"  Miss  Jennie,  I  protest,  I  never  offered  you  a  com 
pliment  in  my  life,"  he  said,  accompanying  her. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  King's  English,  what  are  com 
pliments,  then  ?  " 

"  Mere  verbal  sugar-plums,  sweet,  cloying,  and 
often  poisonous.  My  expressions  of  honest  opinion 
are,  like  Mr.  Burleigh's  toast  you  are  so  fond  of,  made 
of  the  finest  wheat  of  truth,  leavened  by  my  irrepres 
sible  admiration,  and  done  to  the  nicest  shade  of 
brown  by  the  warmth  of  my  friendly  regard." 

"  Oh,  oh,  ok!  Your  compliments  are  verbal  bal 
loons." 

"  Yes,  that  figure  might  apply  to  them  also,  for 
these  opinions  of  mine — not  compliments,  mark  ! 
— often  carry  me  up  above  the  clouds  and  vapors  of 
earth." 

"  Where  you  will  find  the  atmosphere  exceedingly 
thin  and  cold,  I  assure  you,"  said  Miss  Burton,  with 
something  like  seriousness  in  her  tone.  "  I  must 
remind  you,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  that  even  Jack  Bunsby 
did  not  give  his  opinions  till  they  were  asked,  and  I 
will  take  some  toast,  if  you  please,  in  their  stead." 

Stanton  and  Mrs.  Mayhew  now  appeared,  and  the 
conversation  became  general,  in  which  the  former 
made  rather  futile  efforts  to  conceal  his  dejection. 
His  aunt  had  told  him  that  Ida  had  merely  said  she 
had  spent  the  day  with  a  friend,  and  that  she  would 
explain  her  absence  at  the  proper  time.  "  She  has 
such  a  dignified  way  of  speaking,  that  you  are  made 
to  feel  it  is  an  insult  to  ask  a  question,  so  I  shall  just 


43O  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

take  her  at  her  word,  and  leave  her  to  herself,"  con 
cluded  the  lady. 

"  She'll  never  forgive  me,"  muttered  Stanton. 

A  little  later  than  the  others,  the  object  of  his 
thoughts  came  down  to  supper.  The  deep  color 
which  the  unexpected  episode  with  the  artist  had 
caused  now  lingered  only  as  a  faint  glow  in  her 
cheeks.  She  had  fastened  a  few  pear  leaves  in  her 
hair,  and  wore  no  other  ornament.  Her  thin  white 
dress  suggested  rather  than  revealed  the  exquisite 
symmetry  of  her  neck  and  arms,  and  Van  Berg  was 
compelled  to  admit  to  himself  that  his  trained  and 
critical  eyes  could  scarcely  detect  a  flaw  in  her 
marvellous  beauty,  or  in  the  taste  shown  in  her 
costume. 

But  there  was  something  in  her  manner  which  ap 
pealed  to  him  more  than  her  beauty  even.  The  eve 
ning  before  she  had  chilled  their  hearts  by  her  unnat 
ural  and  icy  words  and  bearing.  Now  there  \vas 
an  expression  of  humility  and  diffidence  wholly  un 
like  anything  he  had  ever  seen  before.  She  did  not 
seem  inclined  to  enter  into  conversation,  and  yet  she 
was  not  repellant  and  cold,  but  rather  seemed  to 
shrink  from  notice,  and  to  indicate  that  past  memo 
ries  were  embarrassing.  But  she  would  not  look 
at  her  cousin,  for  she  still  felt  a  deep  resentment 
towards  him.  She  was  no  saint  because  she  had 
cherished  some  good  thoughts  and  impulses  that 
day,  and  as  for  poor  Stanton,  he  became  so  depressed 
that  he  lapsed  into  utter  silence. 

Miss  Burton  was  becoming  deeply  interested  in  Ida. 
When  she  saw  her  crimson  face  as  the  artist  hast- 


THE  CORNER-STONE  OF  CHARACTER.    43! 

ened  to  the  phaeton,  a  sudden  light  had  flashed  into 
her  eyes,  and  the  thought  crossed  her  mind  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg  is  the  magician  who  is  unwittingly 
practising  upon  her  and  making  her  so  unlike  her 
former  self,"  and  as  she  hurriedly  recalled  the  past,  she 
found  there  was  much  in  Ida's  manner  not  inconsist 
ent  with  this  theory.  Still  it  was  not  with  any  pry 
ing,  gossipy  interest,  that  she  observed  closely,  in 
order  to  discover  if  there  were  good  reasons  for  her 
surmise. 

But  Ida's  manner  was  so  quiet  and  guarded  it 
would  have  required  keener  eyes  than  even  Jennie 
Burton's  to  detect  the  hidden  fire. 

The  meal  promised  to  pass,  with  some  constraint, 
it  is  true,  but  without  any  embarrassing  incident, 
when  Mrs.  Mayhew  was  the  means  of  placing  poor 
Ida  in  a  very  painful  dilemma.  Under  a  general 
impulse  to  conciliate  her  daughter  and  make  amends, 
and  with  her  usual  want  of  tact,  she  said  suddenly  and 
sententiously  :  t 

"  Well,  /  think  Ida's  very  brave  to  be  able  to  drive 
for  herself." 

There  was  a  moment  of  embarrassed  silence  after 
this  unexpected  remark,  and  then  Miss  Burton  made 
matters  far  worse  by  saying,  with  the  kindest  inten 
tion  : 

"After  Miss  Mayhew's  adventure  in  the  stage  no 
one  can  doubt  her  courage,  and  I'm  sure  I  admire  a 
brave  woman  much  more  than  a  brave  man.  Men 
are  brave  as  a  matter  of  course."  Then  she  saw  from 
the  sudden  scarlet  that  flamed  up  into  Ida's  cheeks, 
and  the  manner  of  the  artist,  who  suddenly  became 


432  ^   PACE  ILLUMINED. 

wholly  absorbed  in  his  supper,  that  she  had  made  an 
unfortunate  allusion.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but 
promptly  change  the  subject,  so  she  turned  and 
asked  : 

"  What  is  the  greatest  number  of  miles  you  have 
ever  driven  in  a  day,  Mr.  Stanton  ?  " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  !  "  said  the  preoccupied  young 
man,  starting  at  the  sound  of  his  name. 

Miss  Burton  repeated  her  question.  But  in  the 
meantime  it  was  evident  a  severe  conflict  was  going 
on  in  Ida  Mayhew's  mind.  How  could  she  obey 
Mr.  Eltinge's  injunction  to  be  honest  and  true,  if  she 
let  this  false  impression  concerning  her  behavior  in 
the  stage  remain  ?  How  could  she  hope  to  win  a 
particle  of  respect  from  Van  Berg  if  she  received 
again  this  undeserved  praise.  How  could  she  look 
her  kind  old  friend  in  the  face  if  she  continued  silent  ? 
She  felt  she  must  either  speak  or  take  the  pear  leaves 
out  of  her  hair.  It  was  hard,  bitter  hard  to  speak 
then  and  there  before  them  all,  but  her  indecision 
soon  gave  place  to  the  resolve  to  lay  at  once  what 
Mr.  Eltinge  had  called  the  corner-stone  of  character. 

"  Miss  Burton,"  she  said  abruptly,  as  Stanton  was 
trying  to  collect  his  wits  so  as  to  make  a  suitable  re 
ply. 

They  all  looked  at  her  involuntarily.  Her  face 
was  pale  now,  and  had  the  white,  resolute  aspect 
often  seen  in  those  about  to  face  great  danger. 

"  Miss  Burton,  I  am  sorry  to  say  you  have  a  false 
impression  of  my  conduct  in  the  stage.  So  far  from 
showing  presence  of  mind  and  courage  on  that  occa 
sion,  I  was  terror-stricken  and,  I  believe,  hysterical. 


THE    CORNER-STONE    OF    CHARACTER. 


433 


With  all  my  faults,  I  shall  at  least  try  to  tell  the  truth 
hereafter." 

"  By  Jupiter  !  "  cried  the  impulsive  Stanton, 
"  that's  the  pluckiest  thing  I  ever  saw  a  woman  do, 
or  man  either.  Ida,  from  this  day  I'm  proud  of  you, 
though  you  have  little  occasion  to  be  so  of  me." 

The  poor  girl  had  looked  steadily  at  Miss  Burton 
while  speaking,  but  the  moment  the  ordeal  was  over 
her  lip  quivered  like  that  of  a  child,  and  she  hastily 
left  the  table. 

She  had  scarcely  mounted  half  the  stairs  that  led 
to  her  room  before  Van  Berg  was  at  her  side. 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said  eagerly,  "  I  did  not 
sleep  last  night,  nor  can  I  to-night  until  assured  of 
your  forgiveness.  Myself  I  can  never  forgive." 

Her  heart  was  full  and  her  nerves  overstrained 
already.  She  could  not  speak,  but  she  bowed  her 
head  on  the  rail  of  the  balustrade,  hiding  her  face 
against  her  arm,  and  strove  hard  to  check  the  rising 
sobs. 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  continued,  in  low,  pleading 
tones,  "  in  all  my  life  I  never  condemned  myselt  so 
bitterly  as  I  have  for  my  treatment  of  you.  I  can 
only  appeal  to  your  generosity.  I  need  your  forgive 
ness,"  and  he  waited  for  her  answer. 

But  she  could  not  answer.  It  seemed  as  if  she 
could  not  maintain  even  her  partial  self-control  a  mo 
ment  longer.  Her  heart  forgave  him,  however,  and 
she  wished  him  to  know  it,  so  without  lifting  her 
head  she  held  out  her  hand  in  the  place  of  the  words 
she  could  not  trust  herself  to  utter.  He  seized  it 
eagerly,  and  it  so  trembled  and  throbbed  in  his  grasp 


434 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


that  it  made  him  think  of  a  wounded  bird  that  he 
once  had  captured. 

"  I  take  your  hand,  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said  ear 
nestly,  "  not  as  a  sign  of  truce  between  us,  but  as  a 
token  of  forgiveness,  and  the  pledge  of  reconciliation 
and  friendship.  Your  brave  truth-telling  to-night 
has  atoned  for  your  past.  Please  give  me  a  chance 
at  least  to  try  to  atone  for  mine." 

His  only  reply  was  a  faint  pressure  from  her  hand, 
and  then  she  sped  up  the  stairway.  He  did  not  see 
her  again  till  she  came  down  to  breakfast  the  follow 
ing  morning,  when  she  treated  him  with  a  quiet,  dis 
tant,  well-bred  courtesy  that  did  not  suggest  the 
sobbing  girl  who  had  fled  from  him  the  evening  be 
fore,  much  less  the  despairing,  desperate  woman  who 
had  given  him  the  drug  with  which  she  had  intended 
to  end  her  existence.  They  who  see  conventional 
surfaces  only  know  but  little  of  life. 

Truthful  as  she  was  trying  to  be,  she  was  puzzling 
him  more  than  ever,  although  he  was  giving  a  great 
deal  of  thought  to  the  problem. 


A  "HEAVENLY  MYSTERY: 


435 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 


WHILE  Ida's  manner  at  the  breakfast-table  was 
quiet  and  self-possessed,  she  still  maintained 
the  same  distant  bearing  which  had  been  character 
istic  the  evening  before.  It  was  evident  to  Van 
Berg,  however,  that  pride,  wounded  vanity,  and  re 
sentment  were  no  longer  the  motives  for  the  seclu 
sion  in  which  she  sought  to  remain,  even  while  under 
the  eyes  of  others.  It  was  the  natural  shrinking  of 
one  who  would  hide  weakness,  trouble,  and  imper 
fection.  It  was  the  bearing  of  one  who  had  been 
deeply  humiliated,  and  who  was  conscious  of  a  par 
tial  estrangement  towards  those  having  a  knowledge 
of  this  humiliation.  Thus  far  he  could  understand 
her ;  and  in  the  proportion  she  was  depressed  and 
withdrew  from  social  recognition  and  encouragement, 
his  sympathy  and  respect  were  drawn  out  towards 
her. 

"  She  is  not  trivial  and  superficial,  as  I  supposed," 
he  thought  twenty  times  that  morning.  "There  is 
not  a  sudden  calm  after  the  storm  that  has  been  ra 
ging,  as  would  be  the  case  were  she  in  character  like 
a  shallow  pool.  Her  manner  now  proves  daily  the 
largeness  of  the  nature  that  has  been  so  deeply 


436  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

moved,  and  which,  like  the  agitated  sea,  regains  its 
peace  but  slowly;"  and  the  sagacious  Van  Berg, 
whose  imagination  was  not  under  very  good  control, 
began  to  react  into  the  other  extreme,  and  query 
whether  Ida  Mayhew's  moral  nature,  now  that  it  was 
aroused,  was  not  her  chief  characteristic. 

Meanwhile,  the  subject  of  his  many-colored  specu 
lations  had  driven  away  in  the  low  basket  phaeton, 
having  first  explained  briefly  to  her  mother  that  she 
intended  to  spend  the  morning  again  with  the  two 
old  people  she  had  visited  the  previous  day. 

Stanton  volunteered  this  amount  of  information  to 
his  friend,  and  there  was  much  surmise  and  curiosity 
in  their  minds  in  regard  to  these  "  old  people,"  and 
her  motive  in  seeking  them.  But  even  Mrs.  Mayhew 
had  begun  to  realize  that  they  must  take  Ida  at  her 
word  and  leave  her  to  herself. 

It  was  with  something  even  more  than  hopefulness 
that  Ida  drew  near  to  the  garden  again.  She  was  alive ; 
that  fact,  in  contrast  with  what  might  have  been,  was 
like  solid  ground  beneath  her  feet.  Then,  again,  in 
the  place  of  the  cold,  distant  manner  of  the  guests, 
after  the  departure  of  Sibley,  she  had  already  no 
ticed  friendly  glances  and  an  evident  disposition  to 
make  amends.  It  also  gave  her  not  a  little  satisfac 
tion  that  her  cousin  and  the  artist  were  experiencing 
such  sincere  compunctions,  and  were  realizing  the 
enormity  of  their  offence.  Ida  was  very  human,  and 
always  would  be.  She  was  also  a  little  elated  over 
the  fact  that  she  had  been  able  to  tell  the  truth  the 
evening  before.  The  memory,  however,  that  nestled 
most  warmly  in  her  heart  was  the  assertion  of  Van 


HEAVENLY  MYSTERY: 


437 


Berg,  "I  need  your  forgiveness."  "  Howmuch  does 
that  mean  ? "  she  asked  herself  again  and  again. 
"  Does  he  really  wish  to  be  a  friend,  or  is  he  only 
trying  to  smooth  over  matters  and  calm  me  down  so 
he  can  leave  me  decorously,  as  after  our  hateful  epi 
sode  in  the  stage  ?  " 

Her  wishes  colored  her  thoughts.  "  He  spoke  too 
earnestly  to  mean  so  little,"  she  said  to  herself,  with 
a  dreamy  smile  that  Van  Berg,  as  an  artist  merely, 
would  have  given  much  to  see. 

After  all,  perhaps  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  her  re 
viving  spirits  was  in  the  fact  she  was  young.  She 
could  not  take  a  very  sombre  view  of  life  that  fresh 
summer  morning,  even  in  view  of  the  past  and  the 
future,  and  her  manner  of  greeting  Mr.  Eltinge  and 
of  telling  her  experiences  since  they  parted  suggested 
to  him  that  she  was  gaining  in  self-complacency, 
earthly  hope,  and  youthful  spirits,  rather  than  in  the 
deep  and  lasting  peace  and  moral  strength  which  is 
built  up  from  the  Living  Rock.  She  was  finding  re 
lief  from  depression  and  suffering  from  causes  as 
transient  as  they  were  superficial.  Chief  of  all,  she 
had  not  realized  as  he  had  supposed  the  shadow  of 
the  awful  crime  that  was  resting  upon  her,  and  the 
need  of  God's  forgiveness.  Almost  unconsciously 
the  old  man,  wise  and  experienced  in  spiritual  life, 
sighed  deeply  as  she  finished  her  story. 

Her  quick  ear  caught  the  sigh,  and  her  woman's 
intuition  gathered  from  his  face  that  the  outlook  did 
not  seem  so  encouraging  to  him.  Her  heart  began 
to  sink,  and  she  said  earnestly  : 

"  Mr.    Eltinge,  I've  tried  to  be  true  ;  I  want  you 


438  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

to  be  faithful  with  me.  Don't  hide  anything  from 
me." 

"  Yes,  my  child,"  he  replied  gravely,  "  you  are 
sincere  —  you  hide  nothing.  I  think  I  understand 
you.  I  thank  God  he  gave  you  strength  last  night 
to  tell  the  truth  under  very  trying  circumstances,  and 
you  have  greatly  increased  my  respect  for  you  that 
you  did  so.  But,  to  use  a  little  figurative  language, 
if  I  were  your  doctor  I  might  tell  you  that  you  don't 
realize  how  sick  you  are  and  have  been.  There  have 
been  some  encouraging  symptoms  and  circumstances, 
and  your  spirits  and  hope  are  reviving,  and  you  are 
looking,  to  these  things  rather  than  to  him  who 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  I  tried  to  encour 
age  you  yesterday,  my  child,  because  I  saw  you 
were  deeply  depressed  ;  and  to  discourage  us  is  one 
of  the  chief  aims  of  the  Evil  One.  I  do  not  wish  to 
discourage  you  to-day — far  from  it — but  I  wish  you 
to  realize  that  only  the  forgiveness  and  healing  touch 
of  the  Son  of  God  are  equal  to  your  need. 

"  My  child,"  he  continued,  with  a  solemnity  that 
made  her  grow  very  pale,  "  suppose  I  should  take 
you  to  a  room  in  the  house  there,  show  you  a  fair 
young  girl  with  eyes  that  should  look  for  her  duty 
in  life  closed  forever,  and  the  hands  that  should  faith 
fully  and  bravely  do  it  paralyzed  in  death.  Suppose 
I  should  tell  you  that  I  had  given  her  a  poisonous 
drug  the  night  before,  what  would  I  be  ?  " 

"A  murderer,"  whispered  the  girl  with  eyes  di 
lated  with  fear  and  horror. 

"Yes,"  said  the  old  man,  shaking  his  head  sadly; 
"  I  would  have  destroyed  a  life  that  God  had  given, 


A    "  HE  A  VENL  Y  MYSTER  Y."  439 

and  destroyed  endless  chances  for  happiness  and  use 
fulness,  and  sent  a  poor  soul  to  judgment,  perhaps  un- 
forgiven  and  unprepared.  My  child,  it  cuts  me  to  the 
heart  to  pain  you  so,  but  the  physician's  probe  must 
go  to  the  depth  of  the  wound.  It  is  no  kindness  to 
the  patient  to  put  on  a  soothing  surface  application 
and  leave  death  to  rankle  in  the  blood.  We  have  no 
reason  to  believe  that  in  the  eye  of  God  he  that  de 
stroys  himself  is  any  the  less  guilty  than  he  that  kills 
another,  and  even  in  the  judgment  of  man  it's  a  cow 
ardly  flight  from  misfortunes  that  should  be  tri 
umphed  over  with  courage  and  patience,  or  endured 
with  fortitude  and  resignation.  Mark  my  words,  it  is 
only  a  flight,  not  an  escape,  for  every  evil  you  sought 
to  shun  would  have  been  intensified  and  rendered 
eternal.  Now,  the  simple  truth  is,  we  hold  our 
own  lives  in  trust  from  God,  to  be  used  according 
to  his  will,  and  we  have  no  more  right  to  destroy 
the  life  he  entrusts  to  us  than  the  life  he  gives  to 
others." 

Ida  had  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and  was 
trembling  violently. 

"  I  did  not  realize  it  before,"  she  murmured  in  a 
low,  shuddering  tone.  "  Oh,  what  shall  I  do  ?  What 
shall  I  do  ?  Why  doesn't  the  earth  open  and  swal 
low  me  up  ?  " 

The  old  man  came  to  her  side  again,  and  placing 
his  right  hand  gently  on  her  bowed  head  and  holding 
a  Bible  in  his  left,  continued  in  grave  but  very  gentle 
tones : 

"Take  this  Book,  my  child;  it  will  tell  you 
what  to  do.  It  will  tell  you  that  merciful  and  all- 


440 


A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 


powerful  arms  are  open  to  receive  you,  and  not  a 
hopeless  grave.  The  Son  of  God  has  said  to  the 
heavy  laden,  '  Come  unto  me/  and  '  whosoever  com- 
eth  I  will  in  nowise  cast  out.'  Heaven  is  full,  my 
child,  of  just  such  guilty  souls  as  yours,  but  it  was 
he  who  saved  them,  it  was  his  precious  blood  that 
washed  them  whiter  than  snow.  When  you  seek  for 
forgiveness  and  healing  at  his  feet  all  will  be  well, 
but  not  till  then,  and  not  elsewhere." 

"  O,  Mr.  Eltinge,"  she  sobbed,  "  you  have  pierced 
my  heart  as  with  a  sword." 

"  I  have,  indeed,  my  poor  child — with  the  sword  of 
truth ;  and  what's  more,  I  can't  heal,  the  wound  I've 
made." 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?  oh,  what  shall  I  do  ?  "  and  she 
fairly  writhed  in  the  agony  of  her  remorse. 

"  '  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world/  "  he  said  gently  but  firmly,  and  his 
strong  faith  and  the  words  of  Holy  Writ  were  like  a 
rock,  at  which,  from  out  of  the  overwhelming  torrent 
of  her  remorseful  despair,  she  grasped  as  her  one 
chance,  her  one  hope. 

Lifting  her  streaming  eyes  to  heaven,  and  clasping 
her  hands,  she  cried  passionately  : 

"  O  Christ,  hope  of  the  sinful, -if  there  is  mercy 
for  such  as  I,  forgive  me,  for  my  crime  is  like  a  fall 
ing  mountain! ". 

A  moment  later  she  sprang  up  and  put  her  arms 
around  the  old  man's  neck. 

"  My  friend,  my  more  than  father  !  "  she  sobbed, 
"  I  think — I  almost  believe  God  has  heard  me.  It 
seems  as  if  I  had  escaped  from  death,  and — and — my 


HE  A  VENL  Y  MYSTER  Y.' 


441 


heart  was  breaking  ;  but  now — oh,  it's  all  a  heavenly 
mystery  !  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Eltinge  brokenly,  and  with 
answering  emotion,  "it  is  a  heavenly  mystery. 
*  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit, 
saith  the  Lord.'  " 

Ida  could  never  forget  the  remaining  hours  which 
she  spent  that  day  in  the  old  garden.  It  was  then 
and  there  that  she  experienced  the  sensations  of 
those  entering  a  new  spiritual  life  and  a  new  world ; 
and  with  some,  these  first  impressions  are  very  vivid. 

It  was  according  to  nature  that  it  should  be  so  in 
the  instance  of  Ida  Mayhew,  for  she  was  simple,  posi 
tive,  and  warm  in  her  feelings,  rather  than  cold  and 
complex.  But  she  was  sane,  and  abounded  in  the 
homely  common  sense  which  enabled  her  to  under 
stand  herself  and  those  about  her.  She  formed  fairly 
correct  estimates  of  all  whom  she  had  met,  and  with 
the  same  simple  directness  she  began  to  recognize 
the  character  of  the  Divine  Man  that  Mr.  Eltinge 
and  the  Bible  they  read  together  presented. 

No  earthly  casuistry  could  ever  lead  her  to  doubt 
that  he  had  heard  her  prayer  that  morning.  She 
might  reply  simply  to  all  cavil  and  questioning : 

"  I  know  he  heard  and  answered  me,  and  if  I  do 
not  know  this  to  be  true,  I  cannot  know  anything  to 
be  true  ; "  for  never  before  had  her  consciousness 
made  anything  so  distinct  and  real. 

To  say  that  she  and  multitudes  of  others  are  mis 
taken,  is  begging  the  whole  question.  It  is  taking 
the  ground  baldly  of  denial  of  everything  outside  of 
personal  understanding  and  knowledge.  The  skepti- 
19* 


442  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

cism  of  very  many  would  blot  out  the  greater  part  of 
science,  history,  and  geography.  The  facts  of  Chris 
tian  experience  and  Christian  testimony  are  as  truly 
facts  as  those  which  are  discovered  by  people  who 
are  hostile  or  indifferent  to  the  Bible. 

The  broad,  liberal  man  is  he  who  accepts  all  truth 
and  humbly  waits  till  the  fuller  wisdom  of  coming 
ages  reconciles  what  is  now  apparently  conflicting. 
The  bigot  is  he  who  shuts  his  eyes  to  truth  he  does 
not  like,  or  does  not  understand  ;  and  he  is  as  apt  to 
be  a  scientist  as  the  man  who  has  learned  that  the 
God  who  made  him  can  also  speak  to  him,  through 
his  inspired  word  and  all-pervading  Spirit. 

We  are  surrounded  by  earthly  mysteries  which  the 
wisest  cannot  solve,  and  some  of  them  are  very  sad 
and  dark.  Why  should  there  not  be,  as  Ida  said, 
a  heavenly  mystery  ? 

After  all,  it  is  a  question  of  fact.  The  Christ  of  the 
New  Testament  offers  to  give  peace  and  spiritual 
healing.  Does  he  keep  his  word  ?  We  say  yes,  on 
the  broad  ground  of  human  experience  and  human 
testimony — the  ground  on  which  is  built  the  greater 
part  of  human  knowledge. 

If  this  be  true,  what  a  reproach  is  contained  in  the 
words  of  our  Lord  :  "  Ye  will  not  come  unto  me 
that  ye  might  have  life  "  ! 


"  THE   GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  443 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

"  THE   GARDEN   OF   EDEN." 

MR.  ELTINGE,"  Ida  asked,  as  they  were  about 
to  part,  "  have  I  a  right  to  the  glad  sense  of 
escape  and  safety  that  has  come  so  unexpectedly  ?  " 

"  Your  right,"  he  replied,  "  depends  on  the  char 
acter  of  the  Friend  you  have  found.  Do  you  think 
he  is  able  and  willing  to  keep  his  word  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Eltinge,  how  plain  you  make  it  all! " 

"  No,  my  dear;  it  was  made  plain  centuries  ago. 
You  have  as  much  right  to  your  happy  feelings  as  to 
the  sunshine  ;  but  never  put  your  feelings  in  the  place 
of  Christ,  and  trust  in  them.  That's  like  putting 
faith  in  one's  gratitude,  instead  of  the  friend  whose 
services  inspired  the  gratitude.  But  come  again  to 
morrow,  and  we'll  go  on  with  the  '  old,  old  story.' 
I've  read  it  scores  of  times,  but  am  enjoying  it  now 
with  you  more  than  ever.  Good-by." 

As  Ida  drew  near  to  the  hotel,  Stanton  stepped 
from  the  roadside  to  meet  her. 

"  Ida,"  he  said,  "  if  you  can't  forgive  me  (and 
perhaps  you  cannot),  I'll  leave  to-morrow  morning — 
and  perhaps  I  had  better  any  way.  I  fear  it  was  an 
evil  day  for  us  both  when  we  came  to  this  place." 

"  I've  thought  so  too,  Cousin  Ik,"  she  said  kindly; 


444  A  FACE   ILLUMINED, 

"  but  I  don't  now.  I'm  glad  I  came  here,  though  it 
has  cost  me  a  great  deal  of  suffering  and — and — may 
— but  no  matter.  I  was  better  and  worse  than  you 
thought  me.  I  must  in  sincerity  say  that  it  has 
been  hard  to  forgive  you,  for  your  suspicion  wounded 
me  more  deeply  than  you'll  ever  know.  But  my 
own  need  of  forgiveness  has  taught  me  to  forgive 
others  ;  and  I  now  see  that  I  also  have  been  very 
disagreeable  to  you,  Ik.  Let  us  exchange  forgiveness 
and  be  friends." 

"  Ida,  what  has  come  over  you  ?  You  are  no 
more  like  the  girl  that  I  brought  to  the  country  than, 
I'm  like  the  self-satisfied  fool  that  accompanied  you." 

"  No,  Ik,  you  are  not  a  fool,  and  never  was  ;  but, 
like  myself,  you  had  a  good  deal  of  self-complacency, 
and  not  much  cause  for  it.  Pardon  me  for  speaking 
plainly,  but  after  what  has  passed  between  us  we 
can  afford  to  be  frank.  You  may  not  win  Jennie 
Burton,  but  I  believe  she'll  wake  you  up,  and  make 
a  strong,  genuine  man  of  you." 

"  Ida,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone,  and  with  lips  that 
quivered  a  little,  "  I'm  not  sorry  that  I  love  Jennie 
Burton,  though  in  consequence  I  may  never  see  an 
other  happy  day.  But  good-by ;  I'm  too  confound 
edly  blue  to-day  to  speak  to  another  mortal.  It's  a 
great  relief,  though,  that  you  have  forgiven  me.  I 
wouldn't  if  I  had  been  in  your  place,  and  don't  think  I 
forgive  myself  because  you  have  let  me  off  so  easily ;  " 
and  he  turned  hastily  away,  and  was  soon  lost  to  her 
view  in  the  shrubbery  by  the  roadside. 

If  Ida  had  puzzled  Van  Berg  in  the  morning,  he 
was  still  more  perplexed  in  the  evening.  Slight 


"  THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  445 

traces  of  her  deep  emotion  still  lingered  around  her 
eyes,  but  in  the  eyes  themselves  there  shone  a  light 
and  hopefulness  which  he  had  never  seen  before,  and 
which  he  could  not  interpret.  Moreover,  her  face 
was  growing  so  gentle  and  womanly,  so  free  from  the 
impress  of  all  that  had  marred  it  heretofore,  that  he 
could  not  help  stealing  glances  so  often,  that  were 
Jennie  Burton  of  a  jealous  disposition  she  might 
think  his  interest  not  wholly  artistic.  Although  there 
was  much  of  the  shrinking  and  retiring  manner  of 
the  morning,  and  she  did  not  join  in  the  general 
conversation,  all  traces  of  resentment  and  coldness 
towards  her  companions  had  vanished.  She  was 
considerate  and  even  kind  to  her  mother,  but  in 
reply  to  her  questions  concerning  the  people  she  had 
visited,  said  gently  but  firmly  : 

"  I  will  take  you  there  some  day,  mother,  and  then 
you  can  judge  for  yourself." 

But  with  the  exception  of  a  promptness  to  check 
all  reference  to  herself  and  the  day's  experiences,  her 
manner  was  so  different  from  what  Mrs.  Mayhew  had 
been  accustomed  to,  that  she  could  not  help  turning 
many  perplexed  and  curious  glances  toward  her 
daughter,  and  was  evidently  no  better  able  to  under 
stand  the  subtle  and  yet  real  change  than  was  the 
artist  himself. 

Miss  Burton,-with  her  keen,  delicate  perceptions, 
recognized  this  difference  more  fully  than  any  of  the 
others ;  and  her  instinct,  rather  than  anything  she  saw 
in  Ida,  enabled  her  to  divine  the  cause  in  part.  "  I 
know  of  but  one  thing  that  can  account  for  Miss 
Mayhew's  behavior,"  she  thought ;  "  and  though  she 


446  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

guards  her  secret  well,  she  cannot  deceive  a  woman 
who  has  passed  through  my  experience.  I  begin  to 
see  it  all.  She  used  Sibley  as  a  blind,  and  she  was 
blind  herself,  poor  child,  when  she  did  so,  to  every 
thing  save  the  one  womanly  necessity  of  hiding  an 
unsought  love.  Well,  well,  my  outspoken  lover  has 
eyes  for  her  sweet,  chastened  beauty  to-night.  Per 
haps  he  thinks  he  is  studying  her  face  as  an  artist. 
Perhaps  he  is.  But  it  strikes  me  that  he  has  lost  the 
critical  and  judicial  expression  which  I  have  noticed 
hitherto,"  and  a  glimmer  of  a  smile  that  did  not  in  the 
least  suggest  the  "  green-eyed  monster"  hovered  for 
a  moment  like  a  ray  of  light  over  Jennie  Burton's  face. 

"  Mother,"  said  Ida,  in  a  low,  sympathetic  tone,  "  I 
see  one  of  your  headaches  is  coming  on.  Let  me 
bathe  your  head  after  tea." 

"Ida,"  whispered  Mrs.  Mayhew,  "you  are  so 
changed  I  don't  know  you." 

The  young  girl  flushed  slightly,  and  by  a  quick, 
warning  look  checked  all  further  remark  of  this  ten 
dency. 

"She  is  indeed  marvelously  changed,"  thought 
Miss  Burton.  "  I  feel  it  even  more  than  I  can  see  it. 
There  must  be  some  other  influence  at  work.  Who 
are  these  friends  she  is  visiting,  and  who  send  her 
back  to  us  daily  with  some  unexpected  grace  ?  Yes 
terday  it  was  truthfulness — to-day  an  indescribable 
charm  of  manner  that  has  banished  the  element  of 
earthiness  from  her  beauty.  I  think  I  will  join  my 
friend  (who  imagines  himself  something  more)  in  the 
study  of  a  problem  that  is  becoming  intensely  inter 
esting." 


"THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  447 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  Van  Berg  found  a  chance  to  say 
after  supper,  "  you  are  becoming  a  greater  enigma  to 
me  than  ever." 

"Well,"  she  replied,  averting  her  face  to  hide  the 
color  that  would  rise  at  his  rather  abrupt  and  pointed 
address,  "  I'd  rather  be  a  Chinese  puzzle  to  you  than 
what  I  was." 

"  And  I  no  doubt  have  appeared  to  you  like  a  Chi 
nese  Mandarin,  Grand  Turk,  Great  Mogul,  not  to 
name  self-satisfied  Pharisees,  and  all  of  that  ilk." 

"  I  can't  say  that  you  have,  and  yet  I've  keenly 
felt  your  superiority.  I  think  the  character  you  are 
now  enacting  is  more  becoming  than  any  of  those 
would  be,  however." 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  he  asked  quickly. 

"Well,"  she  said  hesitatingly,  "I  hardly  know 
how  to  describe  it,  but  it  suggests  a  little  the  kind 
ness  which,  they  say,  makes  all  the  world  kin.  Good 
night,  Mr.  Van  Berg." 

"  Miss  Jennie,"  he  said,  later  in  the  evening,  "  you 
have  an  insight  into  character  which  we  grosser  mor 
tals  do  not  possess.  Do  you  not  think  that  there 
is  a  marked  change  taking  place  in  Miss  Mayhew  ?  " 

''And  so  you  expect  me  to  read  Miss  Mayhew's 
secrets  and  gossip  about  them  with  you  ?  "  she  an 
swered  with  one  of  her  piquant  smiles. 

"  What  a  sweetbrier  you  are  !  Now  tell  me  in  your 
own  happy  way  how  you  would  describe  this  change 
which  you  see  and  understand  far  more  clearly  than  I." 

"  I'll  give  you  one  thought  that  has  occurred  to  me, 
and  then  leave  you  to  solve  the  problem  for  yourself. 
Have  you  ever  seen  a  person  who  had  been  delirious 


448  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

or  deranged  become  sane  and  quiet,  simple  and 
natural  ?  Although  Miss  Mayhew's  expression  and 
manner  are  so  different  from  what  we  have  seen 
hitherto,  she  looks  and  acts  to-night  just  as  one  in 
stinctively  feels  she  ought  always  to  appear  in  order 
to  be  her  true  self.  Before  there  was  discord  ;  now 
there  is  harmony." 

"  If  I  had  your  eyes  I'd  never  read  books.  You 
suggest  the  effect  perfectly,  but  what  is  the  cause  ?  " 

"  Was  a  man  ever  satisfied  ?  " 

"  One  certainly  never  is  where  you  are  concerned, 
but  will  always  echo  Oliver  Twist's  plaintive  appeal 
for  'more.1" 

tf  O  constant  moon  !  register  that  vow,"  said  Miss 
Burton,  laughing.  "  Mr.  Van  Berg,  one  of  the  first 
rules  that  I  teach  my  young  ladies  is  to  say  good- 
evening  to  a  gentleman  when  he  grows  sentimental," 
and  she  smilingly  vanished  through  a  window  that 
opened  on  the  piazza. 

"  Jennie  Burton,"  he  muttered,  "  you  are  a  wraith, 
an  exquisite  ghost  that  will  haunt  me  all  my  days, 
but  on  which  I  can  never  lay  my  hands." 

The  next  morning  the  artist,  in  his  kindling  inter 
est,  was  guilty  of  a  stratagem.  He  took  an  early 
breakfast  by  himself,  under  the  pretence  that  he 
was  going  on  a  sketching  expedition  ;  but  he  went 
straight  to  the  brow  of  a  little  hill  that  overlooked 
the  road  which  Ida  must  take  should  she  visit  her 
new-found  friends  again.  He  soon  became  very 
busy  with  his  sketch-book,  but  instead  of  the  out 
lines  of  the  landscape  before  him  taking  shape  on 
the  paper,  there  soon  appeared  the  form  of  a  young 


"  THE   GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  449 

girl  on  a  stairway  with  her  head  bowed  on  her  right 
arm  that  rested  on  the  baluster  rail,  while  she  tim 
idly  held  out  her  left  hand  in  the  place  of  words  she 
could  not  speak. 

It  was  with  a  foreboding  sigh  that  Ida  realized  how 
much  she  missed  him  at  breakfast. 

Before  the  meal  was  over  a  letter  was  handed  to 
Mrs.  Mayhew.  It  contained  only  these  words  from 
her  husband  :  "  In  memory  of  my  last  visit  I  con 
clude  it  will  be  mutually  agreeable  to  us  all  that  I 
spend  Sunday  elsewhere.  You  need  not  dread  my 
coming." 

She  handed  the  letter  to  her  daughter  with  a  frown 
and  the  remark  :  "  It's  just  like  him." 

But  Ida  seemed  much  pained  by  its  contents,  and 
after  a  moment  sprang  up,  saying :  "  Cousin  Ik,  may 
I  speak  with  you  ?  " 

When  they  were  alone  she  continued  :  "  See  what 
father  has  written.  He  must  come  to-night  or  I'll 
go  to  him.  Can't  I  send  him  a  telegram  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Coz,  and  I'll  take  it  over  to  the  depot  at 
once." 

"  Ah,  Ik,  you  are  doing  me  a  greater  kindness 
than  you  know.  But  it's  a  long  drive." 

"  The  longer  the  better.  Will  you  go  with 
me?" 

"  I  would  had  I  not  promised  my  old  friends  I 
visited  yesterday  I'd  come  again  to-day.  They  are 
doing  me  good.  I'll  tell  you  about  it  some  time," 
and  she  wrote  the  following  telegram  to  her  father : 
"  Come  to  Lake  House  to-day.  Very  important." 

"  I  wish  Miss  Burton  would  go  with  you,"  she  said, 


450  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

looking  up  as  the  thought  occurred  to  her.  "  Shall 
I  ask  her  ?  " 

Stanton's  wistful  face  proved  how  greatly  he  would 
enjoy  such  an  arrangement,  but  after  a  moment  he 
said  decisively  :  "  No.  It  would  pain  her  to  decline, 
but  she  would." 

"  You  are  very  considerate  of  her." 

•"  She  is  sorry  for  me,  Ida.  I  can  see  that.  She 
has  never  exulted  a  moment  in  her  power  over  me. 
My  love  is  only  another  burden  to  her  sad  life.  I 
can't  help  it,  but  I  can  make  it  as  light  as  possible." 

Tears  came  into  Ida's  eyes  and  she  faltered  :  "  Ik, 
I  understand  you." 

A  little  later  they  both  drove  off  their  different 
ways. 

In  spite  of  everthing,  Ida  found  that  her  heart 
would  grow  light  and  glad  as  she  pursued  her  way 
along  the  quiet  country  road,  now  in  the  shade 
where  the  trees  crowded  up  on  the  eastern  side,  and 
again  in  the  sunlight  between  wide  stubble  fields  in 
which  the  quails  were  whistling  mellowly  to  each 
other. 

Van  Berg  watched  her  coming  with  a  heart  that 
beat  a  little  quickly  for  so  cool  and  philosophical  an 
investigator,  and  was  glad  that  her  quiet  old  horse 
resumed  a  slow  walk  at  the  first  suggestion  of  the 
hill  on  which  he  had  posted  himself. 

Ida  leaned  back  in  the  phaeton  with  the  abandon 
of  those  who  think  themselves  alone,  and  sang  a 
snatch  from  an  old  English  hymn  that  Van  Berg 
remembered  as  one  his  mother  had  crooned  over 
him  when  a  child.  This  melody,  doubly  sacred  to 


"  THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  45! 

him  from  its  associations,  would  have  grated  harshly 
on  his  ear  if  it  had  been  sung  by  Ida  Mayhew  a 
week  before ;  but,  strange  to  say,  the  girlish  voice 
that  floated  up  to  him  was  all  the  sweeter  for  thus 
blending  itself  with  some  of  his  dearest  memories. 

When  the  ascent  was  half  made  the  artist  sprang 
down  from  his  rocky  perch,  and  horse  and  maiden 
were  so  startled  that  they  both  stopped  instantly. 

"Do  not  be  alarmed,"  said  Van  Berg,  laughing; 
"  I'm  not  a  very  vicious  tramp,  and  am  armed  with 
nothing  worse  than  a  sketch-book.  If  I  could  only 
induce  you  to  be  an  hour  in  coming  up  this  hill  I'd 
put  you  and  the  phaeton  in  it.  I  wish  it  were  possi 
ble  to  put  the  song  in,  too.  Why,  Miss  Mayhew  ! 
Am  I  an  ogre,  that  I  frighten  you  so  ?  " 

"  I  was  not  expecting  to  see  you,"  she  faltered, 
deeply  vexed  that  her  cheeks  would  crimson  and  her 
hand  that  held  the  reins  tremble  so  plainly.  "  You 
naturally  think  I  have  a  very  guilty  conscience  to  be 
so  frightened,"  she  added  after  a  second,  and  regain 
ing  a  little  self-control. 

"That  quaint  old  hymn  tune  did  not  suggest  a 
guilty  conscience,"  he  said  kindly. 

"  I  think  I  must  have  heard  it  at  church,"  she  re 
plied.  "  It's  been  running  in  my  head  all  the  morn 
ing."  (He  now  remembered  with  sudden  pity  that  no 
memories  of  sacred  words  and  song  could  follow  her 
from  her  home  and  childhood.)  "  But  I  suppose  you 
think  it  strange  I  can  sing  at  all,  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she 
continued  gravely.  "  You  must  think  me  very  su 
perficial  that  I  do  not  appear  to  realize  more  a  crime 
that  makes  it  exceedingly  kind  of  you  even  to  speak 


452  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

to  me,  since  you  know  about  it.  But  I  have  realized 
the  wickedness  of  that  act  more  bitterly  than  you  can 
ever  know." 

"  Miss  May  hew,  I  admit  that  I  can't  understand 
you  at  all.  You  have  become  a  greater  mystery  to 
me  than  ever.  You  see,  I  imitate  your  truthfulness." 

"  There  is  no  necessity  of  solving  the  problem," 
she  said  in  a  low  tone,  and  averting  her  face. 

"Do  you  mean,"  he  asked,  flushing  slightly, 
"that  my  interest  is  obtrusive  and  not  agreeable  to 
you  ?  " 

"  If  inspired  by  curiosity — yes,"  and  she  looked 
him  steadily  in  the  face. 

"  But  if  inspired  by  a  genuine  and  earnest  wish  to 
be  your  friend  and  to  atone  for  the  unpardonable  in 
justice  which  came  about  from  my  not  understand 
ing  you  ?  " 

"  If  I  believed  that,"  she  said,  with  something  like 
a  smile,  "  I'd  take  you  with  me  this  morning  and  re 
veal  all  the  mystery  there  is  about  my  poor  little  self 
in  one  brief  hour." 

"  How  can  I  prove  it  ?  "  he  asked  eagerly. 

"  Say  it,"  she  answered  simply. 

"  I  do  say  it's  true,  on  my  honor,"  he  replied,  giv 
ing  her  his  hand. 

"You  may  come,  then,  on  one  other  condition.  I 
would  like  you  to  draw  for  me  a  young  pear-tree, 
and  an  old  gentleman  sitting  under  it." 

"I  will  agree  to  any  conditions,"  he  said,  spring 
ing  in  by  her  side.  "Is  it  the  tree  that  bore  the 
pear  you  gave  me  ?  I  hope  you  don't  think  I  was 
capable  of  eating  that  pear." 


"  THE    GARDEN   OF  EDEN."  453 

"  Did  you  throw  it  away  ?  "  she  asked,  with  a  shy 
glance. 

"  Miss  Mayhew,  I've  something  I  wish  you  to 
see,"  and  he  took  out  his  note-book  and  showed  her 
the  rose-bud  he  had  tossed  away.  "  Do  you  recog 
nize  that?" 

In  spite  of  herself  the  blood  rushed  tumultuously 
into  her  face. 

"  I  thought  that  was  trampled  into  dust  long  ago," 
she  said  in  a  low  tone. 

"I  shall  never  forget  your  words  as  you  left  me 
that  evening,  Miss  Mayhew.  It  was  the  severest  and 
most  deserved  rebuke  I  ever  had.  I  picked  up  the 
bud  immediately,  I  assure  you." 

"  I  thought  you  left  it  there,"  she  said,  in  a  still 
lower  tone,  and  then  added  hastily:  "  But  I  have 
no  doubt  you  acted  from  a  sense  of  duty." 

"  I  can't  say  that  I  did,"  he  answered,  dryly. 

"  Will  you  please  give  it  to  me  ?  " 

"  Not  unless  you  compel  me  to,"  and  he  closed  the 
book  and  returned  it  to  an  inside  breast-pocket.  "  I 
would  like  to  carry  it  as  a  talisman  against  Pharisee- 
ism,  the  most  hateful  of  vices." 

"  Oh,  very  well,"  and  she  turned  away  her  face 
'again. 

"But  please  tell  me  about  this  pear-tree,"  he  re 
sumed. 

"  It  won't  seem  to  you  as  it  did  to  me,"  she  replied, 
with  an  embarrassed  air,  "  and  I'm  sorry  I  spoke  of 
it,  but  now  that  I  have  I  may  as  well  go  on.  Be 
sides,  I  do  wish  a  picture  of  it  very  much.  To  ex 
plain  I  must  go  back  a  little.  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I'm 


454  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

taking  you  to  see  the  old  gentleman  who  saved  me 
from — from "  Her  face  was  pale  enough  now. 

"  My  dear  Miss  Mayhew,  don't  pain  yourself  by 
referring  to  that." 

"  I  must,"  she  said  slowly.  "  By  some  strange  fate 
you  have  seen  me  at  my  worst,  and  since  you  say 
you  care,  you  shall  know  all  the  rest.  It  may  relieve 
your  mind  of  a  fear  that  I've  seen  in  your  face  since. 
I  don't  think  I'll  ever  be  so  wicked  and  desperate 
again,  and  I  wish  you  to  know  my  reasons  for  think 
ing  so.  Well,  on  that  dreadful  night  the  party  I  was 
.with  went  into  a  prayer-meeting,  more  by  the  way 
of  a  frolic  than  anything  else.  I  did  not  wish  to  go 
in,  but,  strange  as  it  may  seem  to  you,  I  was  afraid 
to  walk  home,  and  so  had  to  follow  my  company. 
Good  old  Mr.  Eltinge  spoke  to  us.  He  said  he 
knew  from  his  own  long  experience  that  there  was  a 
Divine  Friend  who  was  able  and  willing  to  cure  every 
earthly  trouble,  and  he  spoke  so  simply  and  kindly 
that  he  caught  my  attention  and  revived  my  hope. 
I  felt  when  I  entered  that  place  I  hadn't  a  friend  in 
the  world  or  out  of  it.  I  was  just  blind  and  desper 
ate  with  shame  and  discouragement,  and — and — but 
perhaps  you  have  read  the  letter  I  gave  you  ?  " 

"  Miss  Mayhew,  every  word  of  it  is  burned  into 
my  memory.  I  scarcely  moved  after  reading  it  till 
the  morning  dawned,  and  then  I  went  out  and  walked 
for  hours  before  I  could  compose  myself  and  dared  to 
meet  any  one.  As  I  told  you  then,  so  I  say  again, 
I  had  a  greater  escape  than  you  had." 

"  I'm  very,  very  sorry,"  she  replied,  in  a  tone  of 
deep  regret. 


"  THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  455 

"  I  too  am  very,  very  sorry,  but  it  is  for  you." 

She  looked  up  quickly,  and  saw  that  his  eyes  were 
full  of  tears. 

"I'm  not  ashamed  of  them  in  this  instance,  Miss 
Mayhew."  he  said,  dashing  them  away. 

She  looked  at  him  wonderingly,  and  then  mur 
mured  :  "  Oh,  thank  God  it  has  all  turned  out  as  it 
has."  After  a  moment  she  added  :  "  I've  misjudged 
you  also,  Mr.  Van  Berg." 

"  How  ?  Please  tell  me,  for  I  feel  I  have  more  cause 
to  be  disgusted  with  myself  than  you  ever  had." 

"  Well — how  shall  I  say  what  I  mean  ?  I  thought 
you  had  more  mind  than  heart." 

"  It  appears  to  me  I've  displayed  a  lamentable  lack 
of  both.  I  must  have  seemed  to  you  like  an  ani 
mated  interrogation  point." 

"  I  soon  learned  you  were  very  greatly  my  supe 
rior,"  she  said  simply. 

"  Miss  Mayhew,  spare  me,"  he  replied  quickly, 
with  a  deprecatory  gesture.  "The  story  you  were 
telling  interests  me  more  deeply  than  you  will 
believe,  and  I  think  we  shall  be  better  acquainted 
before  the  day  is  over." 

"  Well,  the  rest  of  my  story  is  more  easily  told 
than  understood,  and  perhaps  your  man's  reason  may 
not  find  it  very  satisfactory.  You  know  the  old 
superstition  that  the  sign  of  the  cross  puts  to  flight 
the  Evil  One.  I  don't  believe  that,  but  I  believe 
that  the  One  who  suffered  on  the  cross  puts  him  to 
flight.  Mr.  Eltinge's  simple,  downright  assertion 
that  Jesus  could  remedy  every  earthly  trouble — that 
he  would  be  a  patient,  helpful  Friend — broke  the  evil 


456  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

spell  by  which  despair  had  blinded  me,  and  I  resolved 
to  try  and  live  if  I  could.  After  the  old  gentleman 
came  out  of  the  church  I  asked  him  to  let  me  visit 
him,  and  he  has  been  very,  very  kind.  I  told  him 
everything.  The  first  day  he  saw  I  was  greatly  dis 
couraged,  and  told  me  the  history  of  a  young  pear- 
tree  against  which  he  was  leaning,  and  which  was  full 
of  beautiful  fruit.  He  said  that  on  a  stormy  night  it 
was  broken  by  the  wind,  and  trampled  upon  by  some 
stray  cattle,  and  he  scarcely  thought  it  could  live,  for 
it  was  prostrate  on  the  ground,  but  he  lifted  it,  and 
took  care  of  it,  and  gave  nature  a  chance  to  restore 
it.  You  would  think  nature  was  like  a  kind  mother,  to 
hear  him  talk.  Then  he  reasoned  that  Jesus,  the 
Author  of  nature,  would  do  fbr  me  what  nature  had 
done  for  the  wounded  tree,  but  that  I  must  not  ex 
pect  too  much  at  first — that  I  must  be  receptive  and 
willing  to  grow  patiently  as  the  tree  had  done,  in  a 
new  and  better  life.  Thus  the  tree  has  become  to 
me  an  emblem  of  hope,  and  I  trust  a  prophecy  of 
my  future,  although  I  do  not  expect  ever  to  reach 
anything  like  the  perfection  suggested  by  the  pear- 
tree  and  its  delicious  fruit.  The  facts  that  have  im 
pressed  me  most  are  that  it  was  bruised,  prostrate, 
and  ready  to  die,  and  now  it  is  alive  and  useful.  Old 
Mr.  Eltinge  loves  it,  and  likes  to  lean  against  it,  as' 
you  will  see." 

"  The  fact  that  has  impressed  me  most  in  this  alle 
gory/'  groaned  Van  Berg,  "is  that  I  was  the  brute 
that  trampled  on  you." 

"  You  are  too  severe  on  yourself,"  she  said  ear 
nestly.  "  I  shall  have  to  take  your  part." 


"  THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  457 

"  Please  do.  I  throw  myself  wholly  on  your 
mercy." 

"  I  believe  Shakspeare  was  right,"  she  said,  with 
a  shy  laugh  and  averted  face.  "  Mercy  is  always 
twice  bless'd.  But  I  have  not  told  you  all,  Mr.  Van 
Berg.  Yesterday  was  the  most  memorable  day  of 
my  life.  On  Thursday  Mr.  Eltinge  saw  I  needed 
encouragement ;  yesterday  he  saw  that  I  had  not 
realized  the  crime  I  had  almost  committed,  and  that 
I  was  stopping  short  of  him  who  alone  could  change 
my  whole  nature.  Indeed,  I  think  he  saw  that  I  was 
even  inclined  to  become  well  pleased  with  myself, 
and  content  with  my  prospects  of  winning  back  the 
esteem  of  others.  He  was  faithful  with  me  as  well 
as  kind.  By  an  illustration,  which  you  will  pardon 
me  for  not  repeating,  he  made  it  clear  to  me  as  the 
light  that  in  the  intent  of  my  heart  I  had  been  guilty 
of  murder.  Mr.  Van  Berg,  may  you  never  know 
the  agony  and  remorse  that  I  suffered  for  the  few 
moments  I  saw  my  sin  somewhat  as  it  must  appear 
to  God,  and  to  good  men  like  Mr.  Eltinge.  I  was 
overwhelmed.  It  seemed  as  if  my  crime  would 
crush  me.  I  don't  think  I  could  have  lived  if  the 
sense  of  terror  and  despair  had  lasted.  But  dear  old 
Mr.  Eltinge  stood  by  me  in  that  terrible  moment. 
He  put  his  hand  on  my  head  as  a  father  might  have 
done,  and  in  tones  that  seemed  like  a  voice  from 
heaven,  said :  '  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.'  I  felt  that  I 
could  not  bear  my  sin  an  instant  longer;  it  was  like  a 
mountain  of  lead,  and  with  a  desperate  impulse  to 
escape,  I  looked  to  Christ — I  just  fled  to  him,  as  it 


458  A  PACE  ILLUMINED. 

were,  and  it  was  the  same  as  if  he  had  opened  his 
arms  and  received  me.  From  that  moment  I  have 
felt  safe,  and  almost  happy.  I  can't  explain  all  this 
to  you,  I  only  tell  you  what  happened.  It  don't 
seem  like  superstition  or  excited  imagination,  as  I've 
heard  some  characterize  these  things.  It  was  all  too 
real :  Mr.  Van  Berg,  the  simple  truth  is — I've  found 
a  Friend,  who  is  pledged  to  take  care  of  me.  / 
know  it.  I  am  reading  the  story  of  his  life,  under 
Mr.  Eltinge's  guidance,  and  that  is  why  I  come  here. 
Now  you  know  all  the  mystery  there  is  about  the 
faulty  girl  in  whom  circumstances  have  given  you  a 
passing  interest.  Since  you  knew  so  much  that  was 
against  me,  perhaps  you  will  not  think  it  strange 
that  I  was  willing  you  should  learn  what  is  now  in 
my  favor.  It  is  simply  this — I've  found  a  Divine 
Friend  who  will  help  me  live  a  better  life." 

They  had  now  reached  Mr.  Eltinge's  gate,  and 
Van  Berg  stepped  out  to  open  it.  But  before  doing 
so,  he  turned  to  his  companion,  and  with  eyes  moist 
with  feeling,  said  earnestly  : 

"  Miss  Mayhew,  circumstances  might  have  given 
me  but  a  passing  interest  in  you,  but  you  have 
won  an  abiding  interest.  You  have  been  generous 
enough  to  forgive  me,  and  now  you  will  have  to 
repel  me  resolutely,  to  prevent  my  being  your  friend. 
Indeed  I  shall  be  one  in  heart  hereafter,  even  though 
you  may  not  permit  me  to  enjoy  your  society,  for 
you  may  very  naturally  wish  to  shun  one  who  can 
not  fail  to  remind  you  of  so  much  that  is  painful. 
As  for  your  story,  it  is  a  revelation  to  me.  I  may 
never  possess  your  happy  faith,  but  I  will  respect  it ;  " 


"  THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  459 

and  although  he  turned  hastily  away  she  could  not 
fail  to  see  that  he  was  deeply  moved. 

Mr.  Eltinge  received  the  young  man  with  some 
surprise,  and  did  not  seem  to  regard  his  presence  as 
altogether  welcome.  The  artist  thought  to  disarm 
the  old  gentleman  by  a  decided  manifestation  of 
frankness  and  courtesy: 

"  I  feel  that  in  a  certain  sense  I  am  an  intruder  in 
your  beautiful  garden  to-day.  Miss  Mayhew  met  me 
on  the  road,  and  I  fear  I  must  own  that  I  had  the 
bad  grace  almost  the  same  as  to  invite  myself 
hither.  At  least  she  saw  that  I  was  exceedingly 
anxious  to  come." 

"  Do  you  know  Miss  Mayhew's  motive  in  coming 
hither  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Eltinge,  gravely. 

"  I  do,  and  I  respect  it." 

"  You  take  safe  ground  there,  sir,"  said  Mr.  El 
tinge,  with  increasing  dignity.  "  Christianity  is  at 
least  respectable.  But  do  you  believe  it  to  be  abso 
lutely  true  and  binding  on  the  conscience  ?  " 

The  artist  was  silent. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  resumed  the  old  gentleman,  with 
a  gravity  that  tended  even  towards  sternness,  "I 
would  not  fail  in  any  act  of  courtesy  towards  you, 
especially  here  at  my  own  home;  but  justice,  mercy, 
and  truth  are  above  all  other  considerations.  Both 
you  and  I  know  this  child's  history  sufficiently  well 
to  be  aware  that  it  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  exert  an 
influence  at  random  on  human  lives.  You  say  you 
know  her  motive  in  coming  hither.  Let  me  state  the 
truth  very  plainly :  she  has  turned  her  face  heaven 
ward  ;  she  is  taking  her  first  uncertain  steps  as  a 


460  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

pilgrim  towards  the  better  home.  In  justice  to  you 
and  in  mercy  to  you  both  let  me  quote  the  words  of 
him  before  whom  we  aft  shall  stand  ;  "  and  placing  his 
hand  on  Ida's  shoulder  he  repeated  with  the  aspect 
of  one  of  God's  ancient  prophets  those  solemn  words 
that  too  many  dare  to  ignore :  "  '  Whoso  shall  offend 
one  of  these  little  ones  which  believe  in  me,  it  were 
better  for  him  that  a  millstone  were  hanged  about  his 
neck,  and  that  he  were  drowned  in  the  depth  of  the 
sea.'  Mr.  Van  Berg,  in  memory  of  the  past,  be 
ware  lest  consciously  or  even  unconsciously,  through 
your  indifference  to  her  faith,  you  lay  a  straw  in  this 
child's  way.  The  weak  and  the  helpless  are  very 
near  to  the  heart  of  God,  and  the  most  dangerous 
act  a  man  ever  commits  is  when  he  causes  one  of 
these  little  ones  to  offend." 

Ida  trembled  beneath  her  friend's  hand  and  wished 
she  had  not  permitted  the  artist  to  come,  but  the 
young  man's  sincerity  and  good-breeding  enabled 
him  to  pass  the  ordeal.  Removing  his  hat,  he  replied 
to  Mr.  Eltinge  with  a  fine  blending  of  dignity  and 
humility : 

"  I  honor  you,  sir,"  he  said,  "  for  your  faithfulness 
to  the  one  who  has  come  to  you  for  counsel  and  in  a 
certain  sense  for  protection  ;  and  I  condemn  myself 
with  a  bitterness  that  you  will  never  understand,  that 
I  wronged  her  in  my  thoughts  and  wounded  her  by 
my  manner.  I  am  eager  to  make  any  and  every 
atonement  in  my  power.  No  language  can  express 
my  gladness  that  she  heard  and  heeded  your  words. 
Pardon  me,  sir,  when.  I  say  I  am  not  indifferent  to 
her  faith.  It  is,  indeed,  a  mystery  to  me,  but  a  noble 


"  THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  46  r 

mystery  which  I  revere  from  the  fruits  that  I  have 
already  witnessed.  In  my  unpardonable  stupidity 
and  prejudice — in  a  Pharisaic  pride — I  have  caused 
Miss  Mayhew  to  offend.  She  has  generously  for 
given  me.  Myself  I  shall  never  forgive.  If  she  will 
honor  me  with  her  friendship  hereafter,  I  pledge  you 
my  word  that  no  act  of  mine,  so  far  as  I  can  help  it, 
shall  ever  cause  you  anxiety  for  one  in  whom  you 
have  so  strong  and  natural  an  interest." 

Mr.  Eltinge's  manner  changed  decidedly,  and 
when  Van  Berg  concluded  he  extended  his  hand  and 
said  cordially : 

"  After  such  manly,  straightforward  words  I  can 
give  you  the  right  hand  of  respect  and  confidence, 
if  not  of  fellowship.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  sir,  I  was 
inclined  to  believe  that  my  little  friend  here  had  a  bet 
ter  opinion  of  you  than  you  deserved,  but  now  I  can 
welcome  you  instead  of  scolding  her  for  bringing  you." 

At  the  reference  to  herself  Ida,  seemingly,  had  an 
impulse  to  pluck  a  flower  that  was  blooming  at  a  lit 
tle  distance.  The  moment  he  was  unobserved  Van 
Berg  seized  the  old  gentleman's  hand  and  said,  ear 
nestly,  while  tears  sprang  to  his  eyes  : 

"  God  bless  you  for  the  words  you  spoke  to  that 
poor  child.  I  owe  you  more  than  she  does.  You 
have  saved  me  from  a  life  that  I  would  dread  more  - 
than  death,"  and  then  he,  too,  turned  away  hastily 
and  pretended  to  be  very  busy  in  finding  the  mate 
rials  for  his  sketch. 

Ida  returned  shyly,  and  it  would  seem  that  some 
of  the  color  of  her  flower  had  found  its  way  into  her 
cheeks. 


462  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"Mr.  Eltinge,"  she  said,  hesitatingly,  "I  don't 
believe  I  can  make  you  understand  how  much  I 
would  like  a  picture  of  this  pear-tree  and  yourself 
sitting  under  it  as  I  have  seen  you  for  the  past  two 
days.  I  must  admit  that  the  wish  to  have  such  a 
sketch  was  one  of  the  motives  that  led  me  to  bring 
Mr.  Van  Berg."'  Then  she  added,  with  deepening 
color  still,  "  my  conscience  troubles  me  when  I  hear 
Mr.  Van  Berg  condemn  himself  so  harshly.  I  have 
learned  that  I  misjudged  him  as  truly  as  he  did  me, 
and  I  have  since  realized  how  sadly  both  facts  and 
appearances  were  against  me." 

"  Well,  Miss  Ida,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  mus 
ingly,  "  I  am  inclined  to  think  there  has  been  more 
of  misunderstanding  than  of  intentional  and  deliber 
ate  harshness.  My  long  life  has  taught  me  that  it 
is  astonishing  how  blind  we  often  are  to  the  thoughts 
and  feelings  of  others.  But  I  warn  everybody  to  be 
careful  how  they  visit  this  old  garden,  for  it's  a  won 
derful  place  for  bringing  out  the  truth.  Nature  is  in 
Che  ascendant  here  "  and  he  looked  keenly  and  hu 
morously  at  the  artist,  who  remained,  however,  un 
conscious  of  his  scrutiny,  for  his  eyes  were  following 
Ida.  She  had  suddenly  turned  her  back  upon  them 
both  again,  and  was  soon  bending  over  the  little 
brook  whose  murmur  he  faintly  heard. 

"  These  allusions  to  the  past  are  all  painful  to  her," 
he  thought,  "  and  she  refers  to  them  only  because,  as 
she  says,  her  conscience  compels  her  to.  It  must  be 
my  task  to  make  her  forget  the  past  in  the  present 
and  future." 

"Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  returning,  "you  have 


"  THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  463 

visited  the  Jordan  I  believe,  but  I  doubt  whether  its 
waters  did  you  more  good  than  that  little  brook  over 
there  does  me.  That's  right,"  she  added,  looking 
over  his  shoulder  at  the  outlines  he  was  rapidly  tra 
cing  ;  "  I'm  glad  you  are  losing  no  time." 

"  I  remember  the  condition  on  which  you  allowed 
me  to  come,"  he  replied,  looking  up  with  a  smile  into 
her  face,  "and  I've  already  learned,  as  Mr.  Eltinge 
suggests,  that  nothing  will  do  in  this  garden  but 
downright  honesty."  Something  in  her  face  caused 
his  eyes  to  linger,  and  he  added  hastily:  "  You're  right 
about  the  Jordan.  The  brook  seems  much  more  po 
tent,  for  apparently  it  has  washed  your  trouble  all 
away,  but  has  left — well  you  might  think  it  flattery  if 
I  should  tell  you  all  I  see.  This  garden  seems  to 
contain  the  elixir  of  life  for  you,  Miss  Ida.  My  heart 
was  aching  to  see  how  pale  you  were  becoming,  but 
here " 

"Mr.  Van  Berg,"  said  Ida,  abruptly,  "will  you 
pardon  a  suggestion  ?  " 

He  looked  up  at  her  again  a  little  wonderingly  and 
bowed. 

"  There  has  been  a  sort  of  necessity,"  she  resumed, 
"  that  my  faulty  self  should  be  the  theme  of  our  con 
versation  to-day,  but  all  the  mystery  in  which  you 
imagined  me  enveloped  must  have  vanished  since  you 
came  here.  I  now  must  ask  that  we  dwell  hereafter 
on  more  agreeable  subjects  than  Ida  Mayhew." 

"  I  must  bring  this  tendency  to  personal  allusions 
to  an  end  at  once,"  she  thought,  "  or  else  I  shall  be 
tray  myself  to  my  bitter  mortification." 

He  looked  up  with  a  deprecating  smile.     "  I  am 


464  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

at  your  mercy,"  he  replied,  "  and  as  I  said  before  I 
will  submit  to  any  conditions." 

"  This  is  an  easy  one,"  said  Ida,  with  emphasis,  and 
then  she  took  up  the  Bible  and  began  reading  to  Mr. 
Eltinge,  who  from  his  seat  under  the  pear-tree  had 
been  watching  them  with  a  pleased  and  placid  interest 
on  his  serene  old  face.  Their  young  life  appeared 
beautiful  now,  and  full  of  hope  and  promise,  but  he 
did  not  envy  it.  The  prospect  before  him  was  better 
than  the  best  that  earth  could  offer. 

Van  Berg  never  forgot  the  hour  that  followed. 
His  pencil  was  busy  but  his  thoughts  were  busier. 
He  felt  his  artist  life  and  power  kindling  within  him 
in  a  way  that  was  exhilarating  and  grand.  While  his 
themes  were  simple  he  felt  that  they  were  noble  and 
beautiful  in  the  highest  degree.  The  tree — a  pretty 
object  in  itself — had  been  endowed  with  a  human 
interest  and  suggested  a  divine  philosophy.  Mr.  El- 
tinge,  who  sat  at  its  foot,  became  to  him  one  of  the 
world's  chief  heroes — a  man  who  had  met  and  van 
quished  evil  for  almost  a  century.  His  white  hair 
and  silver  beard  were  a  halo  of  glory  around  the 
quiet  face  that  was  turned  in  kindly  sympathy  to 
wards  his  companion,  and  Van  Berg  did  his  best 
to  bring  out  the  noble  profile. 

But  the  maiden  herself — why  did  his  eyes  turn 
so  often  to  her,  and  why  did  he,  unasked,  introduce 
her  into  the  sketch  with  a  care  and  lingering  delicacy 
of  touch  that  made  even  her  pencilled  image  seem  a 
living  girl  ?  When  not  affected  or  rendered  conven 
tional  by  society,  her  voice  was  singularly  girlish  and 
natural,  and  there  would  often  be  a  tone  in  a  plain- 


"  THE    GARDEN   OF  EDEN."  465 

tive  and  minor  key  that  vibrated  like  a  low,  sweet 
chord  in  his  heart  rather  than  in  his  ears.  It  must 
be  admitted  that  he  gave  little  heed  to  the  sacred 
words  she  read  ;  but  the  flexible  music  of  her  voice, 
mingled  with  the  murmur  of  the  brook,  the  rustle  of 
the  leaves  and  the  occasional  song  of  a  bird,  all 
combined  to  form  the  sweetest  symphony  he  had 
ever  heard. 

As  an  artist  he  exulted.  His  hand  had  not  lost  its 
cunning,  and  his  ruling  passion,  which  the  strange  ex 
periences  of  the  past  few  weeks  had  held  in  abeyance, 
was  reasserting  itself  with  a  fuller,  richer  power  than 
he  had  known  before.  That  was  Ida  Mayhew's  face 
that  was  growing  beautiful  and  full  of  her  new  and 
better  life  under  his  appreciative  and  skilful  touch, 
and  the  consciousness  of  success  in  the  kind  of  effort 
in  which  success  meant  to  him  so  much,  filled  him 
with  a  strong  enthusiasm. 

Once  or  twice  Ida  glanced  shyly  at  him,  and  his 
appearance  did  not  tend  to  fix  her  thoughts  wholly 
on  the  sacred  text. 

At  last  Mr.  Eltinge  said:  "That  will  do  for 
to-day.  I  think,  under  the  circumstances,  you  have 
given  most  praiseworthy  attention  to  what  you  have 
read,  and  to  what  little  I  could  say  in  the  way  of  ex 
planation.  Now  for  the  picture,  and  I  confess  I'm 
as  eager  as  a  child  to  see  it  ;  "  and  they  came  and 
looked  over  Van  Berg's  shoulder. 

Almost  instantly  Ida  clapped  her  hands,  exclaim 
ing  with  delight :  "  The  tree  ,is  perfect,  and  oh,  Mr. 
Eltinge,  I  shall  always  have  you  now,  with  your  dear 
kind  face  turned  towards  me  as  I  have  seen  it  to- 

20* 


466  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

day  !  "  Suddenly  her  manner  changed,  and  in  a  tone 
full  of  disappointment  she  added,  "  Oh,  Mr.  Van  Berg, 
how  could  you  spoil  my  picture  ?  You  have  put  me 
in  it." 

"  Certainly,"  he  replied  demurely,  "you  were  a 
part  of  the  picture."  .r, 

11  Not  a  necessary  part.  I  did  not  ask  you  to  do 
that,"  she  answered,  in  a  way  that  proved  her  feel 
ings  were  hurt. 

"I  am  willing  to  do  more  than  you  ask,  and  if 
you  insist  on  it  I  will  efface  your  image,  although  I 
should  much  regret  to  do  so." 

"  I  protest  against  that,"  cried  Mr.  Eltinge.  "  So 
far  from  spoiling  the  picture,  your  being  there  makes 
it  invaluable  to  me.  I'm  going  to  tax  Mr.  Van 
Berg's  generosity,  and  ask  for  this  in  the  hope  that 
he  will  make  another  drawing  of  the  old  man  and  the 
tree  only,  for  you." 

"  Would  you  like  to  have  it  so  very  much  ?  "  said 
Ida,  much  pleased  with  this  arrangement. 

"  Yes,  my  dear,  very  much  indeed,  and  I'll  place 
it  near  my  favorite  chimney  corner,  where  I  can  see 
you  all  winter.  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  congratulate  you  ; 
I'm  not  much  of  a  judge  of  art,  but  this  is  my  little 
friend  here,  true  to  life.  You  have  been  very  happy 
in  catching  the  expression  which  I  am  learning  to 
know  so  well." 

"  Your  words  have  a  fuller  meaning  than  you 
think,"  replied  the  artist,  heartily.  "  I  have  indeed 
been  very  happy  in  my  work.  I  never  enjoyed  a 
morning  more  in  my  life." 

"But  I'm  to  go  home  without  any  picture,"  said 


"THE    GARDEN  OF  EDEN."  467 

Ida,  trying  to  hide  her  pleasure  by  assumed  reproach- 
fulness. 

"  There  is  no  picture  yet,  for  any  one,"  he  an 
swered,  "  this  is  only  a  sketch  from  which  I  shall  try 
to  make  two  pictures  that  will  suggest  a  scene  pecu 
liarly  attractive  to  one  of  my  calling,  to  say  the  least." 

As  he  placed  the  sketch  in  his  book,  the  work  he 
had  been  engaged  on  that  morning  when  Ida  met 
him  by  the  roadside,  dropped  out,  and  she  saw  her 
self  leaning  on  the  baluster  rail  of  the  staircase,  with 
her  hand  half  extended  as  a  token  of  forgiveness  and 
reconciliation.  Her  cheeks  flushed  instantly,  but  she 
was  able  to  remark  quietly  : 

"  I  suppose  that  is  the  way  you  artists  keep  a 
memorandum  of  current  events." 

He  replied  gravely,  but  with  some  answering  color 
also  :  "  Yes,  Miss  Mayhew,  when  the  current  is  deep 
and  strong." 

Van  Berg  felt  himself  happy  in  securing  from  Mr. 
Eltinge  an  invitation  to  come  again.  As  they  were 
riding  home,  Ida  remarked,  shyly  : 

"  I  did  not  know  you  could  draw  so  well." 

"Nor  did  I  either  before.  That  old  garden  is  en 
chanted  ground." 

"  Yes,"  said  Ida,  "  poor  Eve  was  driven  out  of 
the  Garden  of  Eden,  but  I  feel  as  if  I  had  found  my 
way  into  it.  I  only  wish  I  could  stay  there,"  and 
her  sigh  was  long  and  deep. 

"  Does  the  world  outside  seem  very  full  of  thorns 
and  thistles  ?  "  he  asked,  kindly. 

After  a  moment  she  replied,  simply  and  briefly, 
"Yes." 


468  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

He  looked  at  her  sympathetically  for  a  moment, 
and  then  said  earnestly : 

"  Miss  Ida,  pardon  me  if  I  venture  a  prediction. 
Wherever  you  dwell,  hereafter,  all  that  is  good  and 
beautiful  in  life  and  character  which  the  garden 
typifies  will  begin  to  take  the  place  of  thorns  and 
thistles." 

"I  hope  so,"  she  faltered,  "but  that  involves 
bleeding  hands,  Mr.  Van  Berg.  I  am  not  cast  in 
heroic  mould.  I  am  weak  and  wavering,  and  as  a 
proof  I  am  dwelling  on  the  very  subject  that  I  had 
forbidden.  I  trust  that  you  will  be  too  manly  to 
take  advantage  of  my  weakness  henceforth  and  will 
try  to  help  me  forget  myself." 

"  That  may  be  a  harder  task  than  you  think,  but 
I  will  attempt  whatever  you  ask,"  and  from  her 
pleased  and  interested  expression  it  would  seem  that 
during  the  next  half  hour  he  succeeded  remarkably 
well.  Suddenly,  as  if  a  happy  thought  had  struck 
him,  he  said  a  little  abruptly  : 

"  I  foresee  that  you  and  Miss  Burton  are  destined 
to  become  great  friends.  You  have  not  yet  learned 
what  a  lovely  character  she  possesses  and  how  broad 
and  deep  are  her  sympathies." 

Ida's  silence  caused  him  to  turn  and  look  at  her, 
and  he  saw  that  the  light  and  color  had  faded  from 
her  face,  but  she  said,  emphatically  : 

"  Miss  Burton  is  even  more  admirable  than  you 
think  her  to  be,  if  that  were  possible." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  hear  one  lady  speak  so  strongly 
and  generously  of  another.  It  is  not  usual.  I  shall 
do  my  utmost  to  make  you  better  acquainted  with 


"  THE    GARDEN    OF  EDEN."  469 

each  other,  and  in  this  pleasant  task  am  sure  I  shall 
render  you  a  very  great  service." 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  beg  you  will  not,"  she  ex 
claimed,  hastily,  and  he  saw  with  surprise  that  she 
appeared  painfully  embarrassed. 

"  Pardon  me,  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said ;  "  I  did  not 
mean  to  be  officious." 

Ida  saw  no  way  of  extricating  herself  save  by 
promptly  changing  the  subject,  and  this  she  did  ;  but 
she  could  not  fail  to  observe  that  her  companion  was 
hurt  by  her  apparent  unfriendliness  towards  one  on 
whom  he  believed  he  had  bestowed  the  best  a  .man 
could  give.  The  remainder  of  the  drive  was  not  en 
joyed  by  either  of  them  as  the  earlier  part  had  been, 
and  something  like  constraint  tinged  the  manner  and 
words  of  both. 

As  they  drove  up  to  the  hotel  Stanton  gave  a  low 
whistle  of  surprise,  but  was  in  no  mood  for  his  old- 
time  banter. 


470 


FACE   ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

PROBLEMS  BEYOND   ART. 

WHEN  Van  Berg  left  the  garden  he  thought 
he  had  learned  to  understand  Ida  almost  as 
clearly  as  he  saw  the  pebbly  bed  at  the  little  brook 
through  the  limpid  current  that  flowed  over  it,  and 
yet  within  a  brief  half-hour  another  baffling  mystery 
had  arisen.  Why  did  she  dislike  Jennie  Burton  ? 
Why  she  had  disliked  her  was  plain,  but  it  seemed 
to  follow  inevitably  that  one  who  could  love  old  Mr. 
Eltinge  must  also  find  a  congenial  friend  in  the 
woman  he  so  greatly  admired. 

As  the  remainder  of  the  day  passed,  this  new 
cloud  darkened  and  seemed  to  shadow  even  himself. 
While  he  could  detect  no  flaw  in  her  courtesy,  he 
could  not  help  feeling  that  she  made  a  conscious  ef 
fort  to  avoid  them  both.  At  dinner  she  conversed 
chiefly  with  her  cousin.  Van  Berg's  eyes  would 
wander  often  to  her  face,  but  she  never  looked  to 
wards  him  unless  he  spoke  to  her.  When  he  or  Miss 
Burton  addressed  her  there  was  not  a  trace  of  cold 
ness  in  her  manner  of  responding ;  a  superficial  ob 
server  would  merely  think  they  were  people  in  whom 
she  was  not  especially  interested. 

"  Poor  child,"  thought  Jennie  Burton,   "  she  acts 


PROBLEMS  BEYOND   ART. 


471 


her  part  well,"  and  she  puzzled  the  artist  still  further 
by  taking  less  notice  of  Ida  than  usual. 

"But  when  I  think  of  it, "-he  mused,  "  it's  just 
like  my  unique  little  friend.  Only  those  in  trouble 
interest  her,  and  Miss  Mayhew  is  on  a  straight  road 
to  happiness  now,  she  believes,  although  the  young 
lady  herself  seems  to  dread  a  world  full  of  thorns  and 
thistles,  and  her  father  and  mother,  at  least,  will  insure 
an  abundance  of  both  in  her  own  home.  But  her  re 
pulsion  from  Miss  Burton,-  the  very  one  towards 
whom  I  supposed  she  would  be  attracted  in  her  new 
life,  is  what  perplexes  me  most.  I  imagine  all 
women  are  mysteries  when  you  come  to  scrutinize 
their  motives  and  impulses  closely.  The  two  who 
have  occupied  my  thoughts  this  summer  certainly 
are,  and  I'll  stick  to  painting  if  I  ever  get  out  of  this 
muddle." 

After  dinner  he  found  a  chance  to  ask  Stanton  if 
Mr.  Mayhew  were  expected  that  evening. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply.  "  In  memory  of  last  Sun 
day  he  wrote  he  would  not  come,  but  Ida  sent  a  tele 
gram  asking  him  to  be  here  without  fail.  I  took  it 
over  to  the  station  for  her,  and  made  sure  that  my 
uncle  received  it.  She  will  puzzle  him  more  than 
she  has  the  rest  of  us,  I  suppose,  and  I  am  quite 
curious  to  see  the  result." 

The  artist  made  no  reply,  but  went  to  his  room  and 
tried  to  work  on  his  pictures.  He  was  more  than 
curious — he  was  deeply  interested,  but  felt  that  he 
was  trenching  on  delicate  ground.  The  relations  be 
tween  the  father  and  daughter  were  too  sacred,  he  be 
lieved,  for  even  sympathetic  observation  on  his  part. 


472  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

He  soon  threw  aside  his  work.  The  inspiration  of 
the  morning  was  all  gone,  and  in  its  place  had  come 
an  unaccountable  dissatisfaction  with  himself  and  the 
world  in  general.  He  had  left  the  garden  with  a 
,  sense  of  exhilaration  that  made  life  appear  beautiful 
and  full  of  the  richest  promise.  He  had  been  saved 
from  a  disaster  that  would  have  been  crushing  ;  his 
object  in  coming  to  the  country  had  been  accom 
plished,  and  the  Undine  he  discovered  had  received 
a  woman's  soul  that  was  blending  the  perfect  but 
discordant  features  into  an  exquisitely  beautiful  face. 
The  result,  certainly,  had  not  been  brought  about 
as  he  expected,  nor  in  a  way  tending  to  increase 
his  self-complacency,  but  he  felt  that  he  would  be 
a  broader  and  better  man  for  the  ordeal  through 
which  he  had  passed.  He  also  realized  that  the 
changes  in  Ida  were  not  the  superficial  ones  he 
had  contemplated.  He  had  regarded  her  face  and 
character  as  little  better  than  a  piece  of  canvas  on 
which  there  was  already  a  drawing  of  great  promise, 
but  very  defective.  By  erasures  here  and  skilful 
touches  there  he  had  hoped  to  assist  nature  in  carry 
ing  out  her  evident  intentions.  The  tragedy  that 
well-nigh  resulted  taught  him  that  human  lives  are 
dangerous  playthings,  and  that  quackery  in  attempt 
ing  spiritual  reform  involved  more  peril  than  igno 
rant  interference  with  physical  laws. 

And  yet  that  morning  had  proved  that  the  desired 
change  had  been  accomplished,  even  more  thoroughly 
than  he  had  hoped.  The  dangerous  period  of  tran 
sition  had  been  safely  passed,  and  the  beautiful  face 
expressed  that  which  was  more  than  womanly  refine 


PROBLEMS   BEYOND   ART. 


473 


ment,  thought,  and  culture.  These  elements  would 
develop  with  time.  But  the  countenance  on  which 
he  had  seen  the  impress  of  vanity,  pride,  and  in 
sincerity,  and  later  the  despair  of  a  wronged  and 
desperate  woman,  had  grown  open  and  childlike 
again  as  she  told  him  her  story  and  read  to  Mr. 
Eltinge  ;  and  in  it,  as  through  a  clear  transparency, 
he  had  witnessed  the  kindling  light  of  the  Christian 
faith  his  mother  had  taught  him  to  respect  at  least, 
long  years  before. 

He  had  left  the  garden  with  the  belief  that  he  had 
secured  the  friendship  of  this  rare  Undine,  and  that 
she  would  bring  to  his  art  an  inspiration  like  that  of 
which  he  was  so  grandly  conscious  while  making  the 
picture  in  which  she  formed  the  loveliest  feature.  He 
had  expected  with  instinctive  certainty  that  she  would 
now  be  drawn  towards  the  woman  he  hoped  to  make 
his  wife,  and  that  friendships  would  be  cemented  that 
would  last  through  life. 

But  in  suggesting  this  hope  and  expectation  to  Ida 
it  had  been  as  if  a  cloud  had  suddenly  passed  before 
the  sun,  and  now  the  whole  sky  was  darkening. 
Jennie  Burton  seemed  more  shadowy  and  remote 
than  ever — more  wrapped  up  in  a  past  in  which  he 
had  no  part ;  and  the  maiden  into  whose  very  soul 
he  thought  he  had  looked  became  inscrutable  again 
in  the  distant  courtesy  of  her  manner.  Even  during 
the  brief  hour  of  dinner  he  was  led  to  feel  that  he  had 
no  inevitable  place  in  the  thoughts  of  either  of  the 
ladies,  and  this  impression  was  increased  as  he  sought 
their  society  later  in  the  day. 

Moreover,  in  his  changed  mood  he  again  began  to 


474 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


chafe  irritably  at  Ida's  associations.  She  herself  had 
been  thoroughly  redeemed  in  an  artistic  point  of 
view,  and  it  was  his  nature  to  look  at  things  in  this 
light.  While  he  shuddered  at  her  terrible  purpose 
he  recognized  the  high,  strong  spirit  which  in  its  per 
version  and  wrong  had  rendered  the  deed  possible, 
and  her  dark  design  made  a  grand  and  sombre  back 
ground  against  which  the  maiden  he  had  sketched 
that  morning  was  all  the  more  luminous.  Hitherto 
everything  connected  with  her  change  of  character 
had  been  not  only  unconventional,  but  had  appealed 
to  his  aesthetic  temperament  as  singularly  beautiful. 
The  quaint  garden  with  its  flowers,  brook,  and  alle 
gorical  tree  were  associations  that  harmonized  with 
Ida's  loveliness,  while  Mr.  Eltinge,  who  had  rendered 
such  an  immeasurable  service  to  them  both,  realized 
his  best  ideal  of  dignified  and  venerable  age. 

But  when  he  compared  her  spiritual  father  with 
the  man  she  expected  that  night,  he  found  his  whole 
nature  becoming  full  of  irritable  protest  and  dissatis 
faction. 

"This  morning,"  he  muttered,  "  she  appeared  capa 
ble  of  realizing  a  poet's  dreams,  but  already  I  see  the 
hard  and  prosaic  conditions  of  her  lot  dwarfing  her 
growth  and  throwing  their  grotesque  shadows  across 
her  beauty.  What  can  she  do  while  inseparable  from 
such  a  father  and  mother  ?  The  more  unlike  them 
she  becomes  the  more  hideous  they  will  appear.  Mrs. 
Mayhew  is  essentially  lacking  in  womanly  delicacy, 
and  mere  coarseness  is  more  tolerable  than  fashionable, 
veneered  vulgarity.  Mr.  Mayhew  is  a  spiritless  wretch 
whose  only  protest  against  his  wife's  overbearance 


PROBLEMS  BEYOND  ART.  475 

and  indifference  has  been  intoxication.  Linked  on 
either  side  to  so  much  deformity,  what  chance  has 
the  daughter  unless  she  escapes  from  them  and  de 
velops  a  separate  life  ?  But  are  not  the  ties  of  nature 
too  close  to  permit  such  escape,  and  would  it  not  be 
wrong  to  seek  it  ?  It  certainly  would  not  be  Christian, 
and  I  am  confident  Mr.  Eltinge  would  not  advise  it. 
Her  lot  is  indeed  a  cruel  one.  No  wonder  she  clings 
to  Mr.  Eltinge  and  the  garden,  and  that  the  out 
side  world  seems  full  of  thorns  and  thistles.  Well, 
I  pity  her  from  the  depths  of  my  heart,  and  cannot 
see  how  she  will  solve  the  harsh  problem  of  her  life. 
I  imagine  she  will  soon  become  discouraged  and 
seek  by  marriage  to  obliterate  her  present  ties  as  far 
as  possible." 

Having  reached  this  unsatisfactory  conclusion  he 
threw  his  sketch  impatiently  aside  and  went  down  to 
the  piazza.  Ida  and  her  mother  were  already  there, 
for  it  was  about  time  for  arrivals  from  tne  earlier 
train.  Van  Berg  felt  almost  sure  that  Ida  must  have 
been  aware  that  he  was  standing  near  her,  but  she 
exhibited  no  consciousness  of  his  presence.  When  a 
little  later  they  met  in  promenade  she  bowed  politely 
but  absently,  and  in  a  way  that  would  lead  any  who 
were  observing  them  to  think  that  he  was.  not  in  her 
thoughts.  So  he  was  led  to  believe  himself,  but 
Miss  Burton,  who  was  reading  in  one  of  the  parlor 
windows,  smiled  and  whispered  to  herself,  "Well 
done." 

Ida  was  in  hopes  that  her  father  would  take  the 
first  opportunity  of  reaching  the  Lake  House,  and 
she  was  not  disappointed.  The  telegram  had  flashed 


476  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

into  his  leaden-hued  life  that  day  like  a  meteor.  Did 
it  portend  good  or  evil  ?  Evil  only,  he  feared,  for  it 
seemed  to  him  that  evil  would  ever  be  his  portion. 
It  was  therefore  with  a  vague  sense  of  apprehension 
that  he  looked  forward  to  meeting  his  wife  and 
daughter. 

As  he  emerged  from  the  stage  with  the  others  he 
found  Ida  half-way  down  the  steps  to  greet  him. 

"I'm  so  glad  you've  come!"  she  said  in  a  low, 
earnest  voice,  and  she  kissed  him,  not  in  the  old 
formal  way,  as  if  it  were  the  only  proper  thing  to  do, 
but  as  a  daughter  greeting  her  father.  Then,  before 
he  could  recover  from  his  surprise,  his  light  travel 
ing  bag  was  taken  from  him  and  the  young  girl's  arm 
linked  lovingly  in  his,  and  he  led  to  Mrs.  Mayhew, 
who  also  kissed  him,  but  in  a  way,  it  must  be  admit 
ted,  that  suggested  a  duty  rather  than  a  pleasure. 

Her  husband  scarcely  gave  to  her  a  glance,  how 
ever,  but  kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  his  daughter. 

"  Ida  is  bewitched,"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew. 

"  And  I  hope  you  will  find  me  bewitching,  father, 
for  I  want  as  much  of  your  society  as  you  will  give 
me  during  this  visit."  She  tried  to  speak  playfully 
and  naturally,  but  tears  were  gathering  in  her  eyes, 
for  his  expression  of  perplexity  was  singularly  pathetic 
and  full  of  the  keenest  reproach.  "  O  God,"  she 
murmured,  "  what  have  I  been  that  he  should  be 
speechless  from  surprise,  when  I  merely  greet  him  as 
a  daughter  should  !  " 

Van  Berg  turned  hastily  away,  for  he  felt  that 
scenes  were  coming,  on  which  he  had  no  right  to 
look.  There  was  nothing  yet  to  indicate  a  wish  on 


PROBLEMS  BEYOND   ART. 


477 


Ida's  part  to  avoid  inartistic  associations,  and  deep  in 
his  heart  he  was  compelled  to  admit  that  she  had  never 
appeared  so  supremely  beautiful  as  when  she  looked 
love  and  welcome  into  the  eyes  of  the  smirched  and 
disheartened  man  to  whom  nature  gave  the  best 
right  to  claim  these  gifts. 

"  Come  with  me,  father,"  said  Ida,  trying  to  give 
him  a  reassuring  smile,  "  and  I  will  answer  your 
scared  and  questioning  glances  in  your  room,"  and 
he  went  with  her  as  if  walking  in  a  dream. 

Tears  now  gathered  in  Jennie  Burton's  eyes,  but 
she  smiled  again  as  she  thought,  "  Better  done  still, 
Ida  Mayhew,  and  Mr.  Van  Berg,  who  is  stalking 
away  so  rapidly  yonder,  is  not  the  man  I  think  him, 
if  you  have  not  now  made  your  best  and  deepest 
impression  on  his  heart." 

"Ida,"  her  father  faltered,  after  they  had  reached 
the  privacy  of  his  room,  "what  does  your  telegram 
mean  ?  What  is  important  ?  " 

"  You  are  to  me.  O  father,  please,  please  forgive 
me,"  and  she  put  her  arms  around  his  neck  and 
burst  into  a  passion  of  tears. 

The  bewildered  man  began  to  tremble.  "  Can  it 
— can  it  be  that  my  daughter  has  a  heart  ?  "  he  mut 
tered. 

"Yes,  father,  but  it's  broken  because  of  my  cruel 
treatment  of  you  ;  I  now  hope  better  days  are  coming 
for  us  all." 

He  held  her  away  from  him  and  looked  into  her 
face  with  a  longing  intensity  that  suggested  a  soul 
perishing  for  the  lack  of  love  and  hope. 

"  Father,  father,  I  can't  bear  that  look.      Oh,  God 


478  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

forgive  me,  how  I  have  wronged  you  !  "  and  she 
buried  her  face  on  his  shoulder  again. 

"  Ida,"  he  said,  slowly  and  pleadingly,  "  be  very 
careful — be  sure  this  is  not  a  passing  impulse,  a  mere 
remorseful  twinge  of  conscience.  I've  been  hoping 
for  years — I  would  have  prayed,  if  I  dared  to — for 
some  token  that  I  was  not  a  burden  to  you  and  your 
mother.  You  seemed  to  love  me  some  when  you 
were  little,  but  as  you  grew  older  you  grew  away 
from  me.  I've  tried  to  forget  that  I  had  a  heart. 
I've  tried  to  become  a  beast  because  it  was  agony 
to  be  a  man.  Why  I  have  lived  I  scarcely  know.  I 
thought  I  had  suffered  all  that  I  could  suffer  in  this 
world,  but  I  was  mistaken.  I  left  this  place  last 
Monday  with  the  fear  that  my  beautiful  daughter 
was  giving  her  love  to  a  man  even  baser  than  I  am, 
base  and  low  from  choice,  base  and  corrupt  in  every 
fibre  of  his  soul  and  body,  and  from  that  hour  to 
this  it  has  seemed  as  if  I  were  ground  between  two 
millstones,"  and  he  shuddered  as  if  smitten  with  an 
ague.  "  Ida,"  he  concluded  piteously,  "  I'm  too 
weak,  I'm  too  far  gone  to  bear  disappointment.  This 
is  more  than  an  impulse,  is  it  not  ?  You  will  not 
throw  yourself  away  ?  Oh,  Ida,  my  only  child,  if  you 
could  be  in  heart  what  you  were  in  your  face  as 
you  greeted  me  to-night,  I  could  die  content !  " 

For  a  few  moments  the  poor  girl  could  only  sob 
convulsively  on  his  breast.  At  last  she  faltered  bro 
kenly  : 

"  Yes,  father — it  is  an  impulse — an  impulse  from 
heaven  ;  but  I  shall  pray  daily  that  it  be  not  a  pass 
ing  one.  I — I  have  lost  confidence  in  myself,  but 


PROBLEMS  BEYOND  ART.  479 

with  my  Saviour's  help  I  will  try  to  be  a  loving 
daughter  to  you  and  make  your  wishes  first  in  every 
thing." 

"  Great  God  !  "  he  muttered,  "  can  this  be  true  ?  " 

"  Yes,  father,  because  God  is  great,  and  very,  very 
kind." 

His  bent  form  became  erect  and  almost  steely  in 
its  tenseness.  He  gently  but  firmly  placed  her  in  a 
chair,  and  then  paced  the  room  rapidly  a  moment  or 
two,  his  dark  eyes  glowing  with  a  strong  and  kin 
dling  excitement.  Ida  began  to  regard  him  with  won 
der  and  almost  alarm.  Suddenly  he  raised  his  hand 
to  heaven,  and  said  solemnly : 

"This  shall  be  no  one-sided  affair,  so  help  me 
God!" 

Then  opening  his  valise,  he  took  out  a  bottle  of 
brandy  and  threw  it,  with  a  crash,  into  the  empty 
grate. 

Ida  sprang  towards  him  with  a  glad  cry,  exclaim 
ing,  "O  father,  now  I  understand  you!  Thank 
God  !  thank  God  !  " 

He  kissed  her  tearful,  upturned  face  again  and 
again,  as  if  he  found  there  the  very  elixir  of  life. 

"  Ida,  my  dear  little  Ida,"  he  said,  huskily,  "  you 
have  saved  your  father  from  a  drunkard's  end — from 
a  drunkard's  grave.  I  was  in  a  drunkard's  hell  al 
ready." 

Mr.  Mayhew  requested  that  supper  should  be 
served  in  his  own  room,  for  neither  he  nor  his  daugh 
ter  was  in  a  mood  to  meet  strangers  that  evening.  Ida 
called  her  mother,  and  tried  to  explain  to  her  why 
they  did  not  wish  to  go  down,  but  the  poor  woman 


480  ^   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

was  not  able  to  grasp  very  much  of  the  truth,  and 
was  decidedly  mystified  by  the  domestic  changes  in 
which  she  had  so  little  part  and  very  limited  power 
to  appreciate.  She  was  not  a  coarse  woman,  but 
matter  of  fact,  superficial,  and  worldly  to  the  last 
degree. 

Van  Berg  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes  when  Mr. 
Mayhew  came  down  to  breakfast  with  his  family 
Sunday  morning.  The  bondman  had  become  free  ; 
the  slave  of  a  degrading  vice  had  been  transformed 
into  a  quiet,  dignified  gentleman.  His  form  was 
erect,  and  while  his  bearing  was  singularly  modest 
and  retiring,  there  was  nothing  of  the  old  cowering, 
shrinking  manner  which  suggested  defeat,  loss  of 
self-respect,  and  hopeless  dejection.  All  who  knew 
him  instinctively  felt  that  the  prostrate  man  had  risen 
to  his  feet,  and  there  was  something  in  his  manner 
that  made  them  believe  he  would  hold  his  footing 
among  other  men  hereafter. 

The  artist  found  himself  bowing  to  the  "  spiritless 
wretch  "  with  a  politeness  that  was  by  no  means  as 
sumed,  and  from  the  natural  and  almost  cordial  man 
ner  in  which  Mr.  Mayhew  returned  his  salutation,  he 
was  very  glad  to  believe  that  Ida  had  not  told  him 
the  deeper  and  darker  secrets  of  her  experience  dur 
ing  the  past  week. 

"  This  is  her  work,"  he  thought,  and  Ida's  radiant 
face  confirmed  the  impression.  She  then  felt  that 
after  her  father's  words,  "  You  have  saved  me,"  she 
could  never  be  very  unhappy  again.  A  hundred 
times  she  had  murmured,  "  Oh,  how  much  better 
God's  way  out  of  trouble  has  been  than  mine  ! " 


PROBLEMS  BEYOND  ART.  4$ I 

Mr.  Mayhew  had  always  had  peculiar  attractions 
for  Miss  Burton,  and  they  at  once  entered  into  con 
versation.  But  as  she  recognized  the  marvellous 
change  in  him,  the  pleased  wonder  of  her  face  grew 
so  apparent,  that  he  replied  to  it  in  low  tones  : 

"  I  now  believe  in  your  *  remedies,'  Miss  Burton  ; 
but  a  great  deal  depends  on  who  administers  them. 
My  little  girl  and  I  have  been  discovering  how  nearly 
related  we  are." 

Her  eyes  grew  moist  with  her  sympathy  and  glad 
ness.  "  Mr.  Mayhew,"  she  said,  "  I'm  inclined  to 
think  that  heaven  is  always  within  a  step  or  two  of 
us,  if  we  could  only  take  the  right  steps." 

"To  me  it  has  seemed  beyond  the  farthest  star," 
he  replied,  very  gravely.  "  To  some,  however,  the 
word  is  as  indefinite  as  the  place,  and  a  cessation 
of  pain  appears  heaven.  I  could  be  content  to 
ask  nothing  better  than  this  Sabbath  morning  has 
brought  me.  I  have  found  what  I  thought  lost  for 
ever." 

Jennie  Burton  became  very  pale,  as  deep  from  her 
heart  rose  the  query,  "  Shall  I  ever  find  what  I  have 
lost  ?  "  Then  with  a  strong  instinct  to  maintain  her 
self-control  and  shun  a  perilous  nearness  to  her  hid 
den  sorrow,  she  changed  the  subject.  *,  ; 

It  was  touching  to  see  how  often  Mr.  Mayhew's 
eyes  turned  towards  his  daughter,  as  if  to  reassure 
himself  that  the  change  in  her  manner  towards  him 
was  not  a  dream,  and  the  expression  of  her  face- as 
she  met  his  scrutiny  seemed  to  brighten  and  cheer 
him  like  a  coming  dawn. 

"  What  heavenly  magic  is  transforming  Miss  May- 

21 


482  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

hew  ?  "   Jennie  Burton  asked  of  Van  Berg,  as  they 
sauntered  out  on  the  piazza.. 

"  With  your  wonted  felicity,  you  express  it  ex 
actly,"  he  replied.  "  It  is  a  heavenly  magic  which  I 
don't  understand  in  the  least,  but  must  believe  in, 
since  cause  and  effect  are  directly  under  my  eyes. 
It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  witness  as  beautiful 
a  scene  as  ever  mortal  saw.  Since  she  refers  natur 
ally  and  openly  to  the  friends  whom  she  has  visited 
during  the  past  week,  I  may  tell  you  about  Mr. 
Eltinge's  influence  and  teaching  without  violating 
any  confidence,"  and  in  harmony  with  the  frank  and 
friendly  relations  which  he  now  sustained  to  Miss  Bur 
ton,  he  related  his  experience  of  the  previous  day, 
remaining  scrupulously  reticent  on  every  point, 
however,  that  he  even  imagined  Ida  would  wish 
veiled  from  the  knowledge  of  others.  "  I  can 
not  tell  you,"  he  concluded,  "  how  deeply  the  scene 
affected  me.  It  not  only  awoke  all  the  artist  in  me, 
but  the  man  also.  In  one  brief  hour  I  learned  to 
revere  that  noble  old  gentleman,  and  if  you  could 
have  seen  him  leaning  against  the  emblematic  tree, 
as  I  did,  I  think  he  would  have  realized  your  ideal 
of  age,  wholly  devoid  of  weakness  and  bleakness. 
And  then  Miss  Mayhew's  face,  as  she  read  and 
listened  to  him,  seemed  indeed,  in  its  contrast  with 
what  we  have  seen  during  the  past  summer,  the 
result  of  '  heavenly  magic.'  It  will,  be  no  heavy 
task  to  fulfil  the  conditions  on  which  I  was  per 
mitted  to  enter  the  enchanted  garden.  They  expect 
mere  pencil  sketches,  but  I  shall  eventually  give 
them  as  truthful  pictures  as  I  am  capable  of  paint- 


PROBLEMS  BEYOND  ART.  483 

ing,  for  it  is  rare  good  fortune  to  find  themes  so  in 
spiring." 

Guarded  as  Van  Berg  was  in  his  narrative,  Miss 
Burton  was  able  to  read  more  "  between  the  lines  " 
than  in  his  words.  He  did  not  understand  her  mo 
tive  when  she  said,  as  if  it  were  her  first  obvious 
thought : 

''The  picture  which  you  have  presented,  even  to 
the  eye  of  my  fancy,  is  uniquely  beautiful,  and  I  think 
it  must  redeem  Miss  Mayhew  in  your  mind,  from  all 
her  disagreeable  associations.  But  in  my  estimation 
she  appeared  to  even  better  advantage  in  the  greet 
ing  she  gave  her  father  last  evening.  Was  there  ever 
a  more  delicious  surprise  on  earth,  than  that  poor 
man  had  when  he  returned  and  found  a  true  and  lov 
ing  daughter  awaiting  him  ?  With  her  filial  hands 
she  has  already  lifted  him  out  of  the  mire  of  his  deg 
radation,  and  to-day  he  is  a  gentleman  whom  you  in 
voluntarily  respect.  O  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  inexpressibly  beautiful  and  reassuring 
such  things  are  to  me  !  You  look  at  the  changes  we 
are  witnessing  from  the  standpoint  of  an  artist,  I 
from  that  of  poor  wounded  humanity ;  and  what  I  have 
seen  in  Ida  Mayhew  and  her  father,  is  proof  to  me 
that  there  is  a  good  God  above  all  the  chaos  around 
me,  which  I  cannot  understand  and  which  at  times 
disheartens  me.  Their  happier  and  ennobled  faces 
are  a  prophecy  and  an  earnest  of  that  time  when  the 
sway  of  evil  shall  be  broken,  when  famishing  souls  and 
empty  hearts  shall  be  filled,  when  broken,  thwarted 
lives  are  made  perfect,  and  what  was  missed  and  lost 
regained  ' 


484  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

She  looked  away  from  him  into  the  summer  sky, 
which  the  sun  was  flooding  with  cloudless  light. 
There  were  no  tears  in  her  eyes,  but  an  expression  of 
intense  and  sorrowful  longing  that  was  far  beyond 
such  simple  and  natural  expression. 

"  Jennie  Burton,"  said  Van  Berg,  in  a  low,  earnest 
voice,  "  there  are  times  when  I  could  suffer  all  things 
to  make  you  happy." 

She  started  as  if  she  had  almost  forgotten  his  pres 
ence,  and  answered  quietly:  "  You  could  not  make 
me  happy  by  suffering.  Only  as  I  can  banish  a  little 
pain  and  gloom  here  and  there  do  I  find  solace.  But 
I  can  do  so  very,  very  little.  It  reassures  me  to  see 
God  doing  this  work  in  his  grand,  large  way.  And 
yet  it  seems  to  me  that  he  might  brighten  the  world 
as  the  sun  fills  this  sky  with  light.  As  it  is,  the  rays 
that  illumine  hearts  and  faces  glint  only  here  and 
there  between  the  threatening  clouds  of  evil.  Mr. 
Van  Berg,  you  do  not  know — you  have  never  realized 
how  shadowed  humanity  is.  Within  a  mile  of  your 
studio,  that  is  full  of  light  and  beauty,  there  are  thou 
sands  who  are  perishing  in  slow,  remorseless  pain.  It  is 
this  awful  mystery  of  evil — this  continuous  groan  and 
cry  of  anguish  that  has  gone  up  to  heaven  through 
all  the  ages — that  appalls  my  heart  and  staggers  my 
faith.  But  there — after  what  I  have  seen  to-day  I 
have  no  right  to  such  gloomy  thoughts.  I  suppose 
my  religion  seems  to  you  no  more  than  a  clinging 
faith  in  a  far-away,  incomprehensible  God,  and  so  is 
not  very  attractive  ?  I  wish  I  could  suggest  to  you 
something  more  satisfactory,  but  since  I  cannot  I'll 
leave  you  to  find  better  influences." 


PROBLEMS  BEYOND  ART.  485 

"  It  does  seem  to  me  that  rash,  faulty  Ida  Mayhew 
has  a  better  faith  than  this,"  he  thought;  "she  be 
lieves  she  has  found  a  near  and  helpful  Friend,  while 
my  sad-eyed  saint  has  only  a  God,  and  is  always  in 
pathetic  doubt  whether  her  prayer  can  bridge  the 
infinite  distance  between  them.  Who  is  right  ?  Is 
either  right?  I  used  to  be  impressed  with  how 
much  I  knew ;  I'm  glad  the  opposite  impression  is 
becoming  so  strong,  for,  as  Miss  Burton  says,  the 
hopeless  fools  are  those  who  never  find  themselves 
out. 

"  She  was  right.  Ida  Mayhew  will  ever  appear  to 
better  advantage  in  aiding  her  poor  father  to  regain 
his  manhood,  than  by  the  most  artistic  combination 
of  circumstances  that  I  could  imagine.  All  the  man 
in  me  recognizes  the  sacredness  of  the  duty  and  the 
beauty  of  its  performance.  And  yet  but  yesterday  I 
was  stupid  enough  to  believe  that  her  best  chance  for 
development  was  to  escape  from  her  father  and  live  a 
separate  life.  It  has  taken  only  a  few  hours  to  prove 
how  superficial  was  my  philosophy  of  life.  Guided 
simply  by  the  instincts  of  love  and  duty,  this  faulty 
girl  has  accomplished  more  than  I  had  supposed  pos 
sible.  But  her  mother  will  continue  a  thorn  in  her 
side,"  and  Van  Berg  was  not  far  astray. 


486  ^  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XL VI. 

A  RESOLUTE   PHILOSOPHER. 

MR.  MAYHEW  attended  church  with  his  fam 
ily  that  morning — a  thing  that  he  had  not 
done  for  years — and  in  the  afternoon  Ida  took  him 
to  see  her  spiritual  birthplace,  and  to  call  on  her 
spiritual  father.  The  welcome  that  old  Mr.  Eltinge 
gave,  and  the  words  he  spoke,  did  much  towards 
establishing  hope  in  the  man  who  had  been  so  dis 
heartened,  that  a  new  and  better  future  was  opening 
before  him. 

When  about  to  part  he  put  his  left  arm  around  his 
daughter,  and  giving  his  hand  to  Mr.  Eltinge,  said, 
with  a  voice  broken  by  his  feelings  : 

"  I  am  bewildered  yet.  I  can't  understand  my 
happiness.  Yesterday  I  was  perishing  in  a  boundless 
desert.  To-day  the  desert  has  vanished,  and  I'm  in 
this  sweet  old  garden.  There  are  no  flowers  or 
fruits  in  it,  however,  that  can  compare  with  the  love  * 
and  truth  I  now  see  in  this  child's  face.  I  won't 
speak  of  the  service  you  have  rendered  us  both.  It's 
beyond  all  words." 

It  was  indeed  greater  than  he  knew,  for  Ida  had 
concluded  never  to  speak  again  of  her  terrible  secret 
God  had  forgiven  her,  and  nothing  was  to  be  gained 


A   RESOLUTE  PHILOSOPHER.  487 

by  any  reference  to  a  subject  that  had  become  inex 
pressibly  painful.  "  Remember,"  said  the  stanch 
and  faithful  old  man  as  they  were  about  to  drive 
away,  "  nothing  good  lasts  unless  built  up  from  the 
Author  of  all  good.  Unless  you  act  on  this  truth 
you'll  find  yourself  in  the  desert  again,  and  all  you 
are  now  enjoying  will  seem  like  a  mirage." 

Poor  Mr.  Mayhew  could  not  endure  to  lose  a  mo 
ment  of  his  daughter's  society,  for  the  long  thirst 
of  years  was  to  be  slaked.  They  took  a  round 
about  way  home,  and  the  summer  evening  deep 
ened  into  twilight  and  dusk  before  they  approached 
the  hotel. 

"  See,  father,  there  is  the  new  moon,  and  it  hangs 
over  your  right  shoulder,"  cried  Ida,  gleefully. 

"  It's  over  your  right  shoulder,  too,  and  that 
thought  pleases  me  better  still.  I  wish  I  could  make 
you  very  happy.  Tell  me  what  I  can  do  for  you." 

"  Take  me  to  New  York  with  you  to  morrow," 
said  Ida,  promptly. 

"  Now  you  are  trying  to  make  a  martyr  of  your 
self  for  me.  You  forget  how  hot  and  dusty  the 
city  is  in  August." 

"I'm  going  with  you,"  she  said  decisively,  "unless 
you  say  no." 

"  My  heart  would  say  yes,  even  if  my  lips  did  say 
no." 

"  I'm  going  to  spend  part  of  the  time  with  you 
until  your  vacation  begins  next  month,  and  then 
we'll  explore  every  nook  and  corner  of  this  region." 

"There  Ida,  say  no  more  to-day.  My  cup  is 
overflowing  now,  and  the  fear  is  already  growing 


488  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

that  such  happiness  won't  last — can't  last  in  a  world 
like  ours." 

"  Father,"  said  Ida,  gently,  "  I've  found  a  Friend 
that  has  promised  me  more  than  present  happiness. 
He  has  promised  me  eternal  life.  He  is  pledged  to 
make  all  seeming  evil  result  in  my  final  good.  How 
it  can  be  I  don't  see  at  all,  but  I'm  trying  to  take 
him  at  his  word.  You  must  not  worry  if  I'm  not 
always  in  good  spirits.  I  suppose  every  one  in  the 
world  has  a  burden  to  carry,  but  I  don't  think  it  can 
crush  us  if  our  Saviour  helps  us  carry  it.  My  faith  is 
very  simple,  you  see  ;  I  feel  I'm  like  one  of  those  little 
children  he  took  in  his  arms  and  blessed,  and  I'm 
sure  his  blessing  is  not  an  empty  form.  It  has  made 
me  love  and  trust  him,  and  that's  all  the  religion  I 
have  or  know  anything  about.  You  must  not  expect 
great  things  of  me  ;  you  must  not  watch  me  too  close 
ly.  Just  let  me  take  my  own  quiet  way  in  life,  for  I 
want  my  life  henceforth  to  be  as  quiet  and  unobtru 
sive  as  the  little  brook  that  runs  through  Mr. 
Eltinge's  garden,  that  is  often  in  the  shade,  you 
know,  as  well  as  in  the  light,  but  Mr.  Eltinge  lets  it 
flow  after  its  own  fashion  ;  so  you  must  let  me.  I'll 
always  try  to  make  a  little  low,  sweet  music  for  you, 
if  not  for  the  world.  So  please  do  not  commence 
puzzling  your  poor  tired  brain  how  to  make  me  happy 
or  gay,  or  want  to  take  me  here  and  there.  Just 
leave  me  to  myself ;  let  me  have  my  own  way  for 
awhile  at  least,  and  if  you  can  do  anything  for  me  I 
promise  to  tell  you." 

Ever  since  her  drive  with  Van  Berg  the  previous 
day,  there  had  been  a  deep  undercurrent  of  thought 


A   RESOLUTE   PHILOSOPHER.  489 

in  Ida's  mind,  and  she  had  at  last  concluded  that  she 
could  scarcely  keep  her  secret  with  any  certainty 
while  under  his  eyes,  and  especially  those  of  Miss 
Burton.  She  was  too  direct  and  positive  in  her  na 
ture,  and  her  love  was  too  strong  and  absorbing  for 
the  cool  and  indifferent  bearing  she  was  trying  to 
maintain.  Her  eyes,  her  cheeks,  her  tones,  and 
even  words,  might  prove  traitors  at  any  time  and 
betray  her.  She  longed  to  be  alone,  and  the  large 
empty  city  house  seemed  the  quiet  refuge  that  she 
needed.  At  the  same  time  it  would  give  her  deep 
satisfaction  to  be  with  her  father  after  his  return  from 
business,  and  make  amends  for  years  of 'neglect. 

He  looked  at  her  wistfully,  feeling,  in  a  vague  way, 
that  he  did  not  understand  her  yet.  There  was  a 
minor  chord  in  her  voice,  and  there  had  been  a  sad 
ness  in  her  eyes  at  times  which  began  to  suggest  to 
him  that  he  had  not  learned  all  the  causes  that  were 
so  marvellously  transforming  her  from  her  old  self. 
Her  mother  would  question  and  question.  He,  on 
the  contrary,  would  wait  patiently  till  the  confidence 
was  given,  and  so  he  merely  said  gently, 

"  All  right,  little  girl ;  I'll  try  to  make  you  happy 
in  your  own  way." 

Van  Berg,  going  out  for  a  walk  after  tea,  again 
heard  the  girlish  voice  singing  the  quaint  hymn  tune 
that  had  awakened  the  memories  of  his  childhood  the 
previous  day,  He  instantly  concealed  himself  by 
the  roadside,  and  in  a  moment  or  two  Ida  and  her 
father  drove  by.  He  was  able  in  the  dusk  to  note 
only  that  her  head  rested  on  her  father's  shoulder, 
and  her  voice  was  sweet  and  plaintive  as  she  sang 

21' 


oi* 


490 


A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 


words  that  he  could  not  hear  distinctly,  but  which 
were  as  follows,  as  far  as  he  could  catch  them  : 

I  know  not  the  way  he  is  leading  me 

But  I  know  he  is  leading  me  home  ; 
Though  lonely  the  path  and  dark  to  me, 
It  is  safe  and  it  wends  to  my  home. 
Home  of  the  blest, 
Home  that  is  rest 
To  the  weary  pilgrim's  feet,  to  the  weary  pilgrim's  heart. 

and  then  her  words  were  lost  in  the  distance. 

With  an  impulse  he  did  not  think  of  resisting  he 
followed  them  back  to  the  hotel  and  waited  patiently 
till  she  and  her  father  came  out  from  supper. 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said,  a  little  discontentedly, 
"  I  have  scarcely  had  a  chance  to  say  a  word  to  you 
to-day,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  I  have  a  great  deal 
to  say." 

She  looked  at  him  with  some  surprise  as  she  re 
plied,  "  Well,  I  think  I  might  at  least  become  a  good 
listener." 

"  Do  you  mean  a  patient  one  ?  " 

"  I  never  had  any  patience,"  she  answered,  with 
something  like  a  smile. 

"  And  I  was  never  so  possessed  by  the  demon  of 
impatience  as  I  have  been  this  afternoon.  There 
hasn't  been  a  soul  around  that  I  cared  to  talk  with, 
and  if  you  knew  how  out  of  conceit  I  am  with  my 
own  company,  you  would  feel  some  commiseration. 
How  I  envied  you  your  visit  to  the  garden  this 
afternoon,  for  I  felt  sure  you  took  your  father  thither. 
May  I  not  go  with  you  again  to-morrow,  or  soon  ? 


A  RESOLUTE   PHILOSOPHER.  49 1 

I  wish  to  make  my  sketch  more  accurate  before 
beginning  your  picture." 

She  hesitated  a  moment,  and  he  little  knew  how 
he  was  tempting  her.  Then  she  replied,  so  quietly 
,and  decisively  as  to  seem  almost  cold,  "  Mr.  Eltinge, 
I'm  sure,  will  be  very  glad  to  see  you,  but  I  shall  go 
to  the  city  with  my  father  in  the  morning  and  remain 
in  town  all  the  week."  She  was  puzzled  at  his  un 
mistakable  expression  of  regret  and  disappointment, 
and  added,  hastily,  "  Mr.  Van  Berg,  you  are  taking 
far  too  much  trouble.  I  would  be  more  than  satis 
fied — I  would  be  delighted  with  such  a  sketch  as  you 
made  to-day,  with  the  omission  of  myself." 

"  But  if,  instead  of  being  trouble,  it  gave  me 
great  pleasure  to  make  the  picture  with  the  utmost 
care  ?  " 

"  I  suppose,"  she  replied,  "  that  you  have  a  high 
artistic  sense  that  must  be  satisfied,  and  that  you  see 
imperfections  that  I  cannot." 

"  You  are  severe  upon  me,  Miss  Mayhew,  but  since 
you  have  such  good  reason  I  cannot  complain.  Still, 
in  justice  to  myself,  I  must  say  that  satisfying  my 
artistic  sense  was  not  my  motive." 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  be  severe — I  do  not  mean 
what  you  think,"  Ida  began,  very  eagerly.  Then 
she  checked  herself  and  added,  after  a  moment,  with 
a  slight  tinge  of  sadness  in  her  tone,  "  I  fear  we  are 
fated  to  misunderstand  each  other.  Good-night,  Mr. 
Van  Berg,"  and  she  turned'  decisively  away  and 
joined  her  father  who  was  talking  with  Stanton. 

The  artist  was  both  hurt  and  perplexed,  and  he 
abruptly  left  the  hall  and  started  again  on  the  walk 


492  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

which  had  been  so  unexpectedly  interrupted.  He 
strode  away  through  the  starlight  with  a  swiftness 
that  was  scarcely  in  harmony  with  the  warm,  still 
summer  night.  Before  he  was  aware  of  it  he  was  a 
mile  away.  Stopping  suddenly  he  muttered  : 

"  I  won't  be  so  baffled  and  puzzled.  I  will  learn 
to  understand  Ida  Mayhew  before  this  summer  is 
over.  It's  ridiculous  that  I  should  be  so  dull  and 
stupid.  She  says  she  fears  we  are  4  fated  to  .mis 
understand  each  other.'  I  defy  such  a  blind  stupid 
fate.  I  used  to  have  some  brains  and  tact  before  I 
came  to  this  place,  and  I  scarcely  think  I've  become 
an  idiot.  I  am  determined  to  win  that  girl's  friend 
ship,  and  I  intend  to  follow  her  career  and  watch  the 
rare  and  beautiful  development  of  her  character. 
That  one  hour  in  the  garden  yesterday  taught  me 
what  an  inspiration  her  exquisite  beauty  can  be  in 
my  profession,  and  surely  with  the  vantage-ground  I 
already  possess  I  ought  to  have  skill  enough  to  win  a 
place  among  her  friends,"  and  he  walked  back  almost 
as  quickly  as  he  had  stalked  away. 

Ida  had  seen  his  departure  and  recognized  the  fact 
that  she  had  hurt  his  feelings.  It  was  strange  that 
so  little  a  thing  could  depress  her  so  greatly,  for  she 
felt  that  the  first  real  Sabbath  she  had  ever  spent  and 
which  had  been  in  truth  a  Sun-day  to  her  thus  far, 
was  now  ending  in  shadows  darker  than  the  night. 
"  How  weak  I  am,"  she  thought ;  "  I  must  go  away 
as  soon  as  possible,  or  else  I  shall  be  sorry.  The  com 
panionship  that  he  can  give  so  easily  and  frankly 
when  Miss  Burton  is  not  at  hand  to  occupy  him  is  im 
possible  for  me,  and  would  only  end  in  the  betrayal 


A  RESOLUTE  PHILOSOPHER.  493 

of  a  secret  that  I  would  hide  even  more  anxiously 
than  the  crime  I  could  not  conceal  from  him.  My 
duty  and  my  father  must  be  everything  hereafter," 
and  she  turned  resolutely  to  him,  saying  : 

"  Father,  take  a  seat  in  the  parlor  while  I  go  and 
find  mother.  I  want  these  people  to  see  that  you 
have  a  family  who  at  least  show  that  they  appreciate 
all  the  luxuries  and  comforts  you  are  providing  for 
them." 

Mr.  Mayhew  was  more  deeply  gratified  than  she 
could  understand  by  her  words,  for  any  recognition 
of  his  manhood  and  rightful  position  which  was  quiet 
and  unobtrusive,  was  balm  and  healing  to  his  wound 
ed  self-respect.  Hitherto  he  had  believed  correctly 
that  his  family  wished  to  keep  him  out  of  sight,  and 
at  no  time  before  had  he  realized  the  change  that 
had  taken  place  in  Ida  more  keenly  than  when  she 
made  this  simple  and  natural  proposition.  His  grate 
ful  smile  as  he  complied  with  her  request  did  her 
good,  but  she  soon  discovered  that  in  her  mother  she 
had  a  very  difficult  subject  to  manage.  She  found 
that  lady  in  her  room  wearing  a  gloomy  and  injured 
expression. 

"  You  have  condescended  at  last  to  come  and  see 
whether  I  was  alive,  I  see,"  she  said,  as  Ida  entered 
the  room. 

Her  daughter  went  directly  to  her  and  kissing  her 
replied,  "We  haven't  intended  to  leave  you  so  long 
or  to  neglect  you  in  the  least,  and  I'll  explain." 

"  Oh,  no  need  of  explaining.  Excuses  always 
make  matters  worse.  Here  is  the  fact — I've  been  left 
all  the  afternoon  to  myself." 


494  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Have  you  noticed  no  other  fact  to-day,  mother  ?  " 
asked  Ida,  gravely. 

"  Yes,  I've  noticed  that  you  and  your  father  have 
been  so  wrapped  up  in  each  other  that  I'm  nobody, 
and  might  as  well  be  Mrs.  John  Smith  as  Mrs.  May- 
hew." 

"  Pardon  me,  mother,  you  are  exaggerating,"  said 
Ida,  firmly.  "  Father  was  very  polite  to  you  at  break 
fast  and  dinner,  and  he  went  to  church  with  you  this 
morning,  and  I  can  scarcely  remember  when  he  has 
done  this  before.  I  am  chiefly  to  blame  for  keeping 
him  away  so  long  this  afternoon,  for  I  wanted  him  to 
see  and  talk  with  my  friend  Mr.  Eltinge,  who  has 
done  me  so  much  good.  I  thought  he  might  help 
father  too,  and  I  truly  believe  he  has.  I  repeat  to 
you  again,  in  all  sincerity  and  love,  that  we  have  not 
intended  to  neglect  you,  and  father  now  wishes  you 
to  come  down  and  join  him  in  the  parlor,  so  that  we 
can,  as  a  family,  at  last  appear  as  we  ought  before 
the  world.  In  the  name  of  all  that  is  sacred,  encour 
age  dear  father  now  that  he  is  trying  to  be  what  we 
have  so  often  wished." 

But  Mrs.  Mayhew's  pets  were  like  spells  of  bad 
weather  and  would  run  their  course.  She  only  looked 
more  gloomy  and  injured  than  ever  as  she  replied  : 

11  It's  all  very  well  to  talk.  Mr.  Mayhew  must  be 
encouraged  and  coaxed  to  do  what  any  man  ought 
to  do.  I  might  have  enjoyed  a  ride  this  evening  as 
well  as  your  father." 

"  You  said  it  was  too  warm  to  go  out  after  dinner." 

"Well,  you  might  have  waited  till  it  wasn't  too 
warm." 


A  RESOLUTE  PHILOSOPHER. 


495 


A  sudden  scarlet  burned  in  Ida's  cheeks,  and  there 
came  an  ominous  sparkle  in  her  eyes.  "Mother," 
she  said  so  abruptly  and  sternly  that  the  lady  looked 
up  wonderingly,  and  encountered  an  expression  in 
her  daughter's  face  that  awakened  an  undefined  fear. 
In  Atones  that  were  low,  indignant,  and  authoritative 
Ida  continued  : 

"  I  request — I  demand  that  you  cease  this  nonsense 
at  once.  As  a  Christian  woman  you  ought  to  be  on 
your  knees  thanking  God  that  your  husband  is  not 
lying  intoxicated  on  that  sofa,  as  he  was  last  Sunday 
at  this  time.  You  ought  to  be  thanking  God  that 
he  is  becoming  his  former  self,  and  winning  respect 
by  acting  like  a  true  gentleman.  It  was  our  unutter 
able  folly  that  was  destroying  him,  and  I  say  this 
folly  must  and  shall  cease.  I  will  not  permit  my 
father's  sensitive  nature  to  be  wounded  as  it  has 
been.  You  shall  not  spoil  this  first  bright  day  he 
has  had  after  so  many  years.  If  you  care  for  him 
why  don't  you  try  to  win  his  affection  ?  and  whoever 
heard  of  a  heart  being  won  by  whining  and  fault 
finding.  But  of  this  be  sure,  you  shall  not  spoil  this 
day.  I  charge  you  as  a  wife  and  a  lady  to  cease  this 
childish  petulance,  and  come  down  at  once." 

"  Oh!"  said  Mrs.  Mayhew,  rising  mechanically, 
"  if  you  are  going  to  make  a  scene " 

"  I  am  going  to  prevent  scenes,"  said  Ida,  with  all 
her  old  time  imperiousness.  "  I  insist  that  we  appear 
in  the  future  like  a  quiet,  well-bred  family,  and  I  warn 
you  that  I  will  permit  my  father  to  be  trifled  with  no 
longer.  He  shall  have  a  chance.  Wait,  let  me  help  you 
make  a  more  becoming  toilet  for  Sunday  evening." 


496 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


Ida  was  very  strongly  aroused,  and  the  superior 
nature  mastered  the  weaker.  Mrs.  Mayhew  became 
as  wax  in  her  hands,  although  she  made  many  natural 
and  irritable  protests  against  her  daughter  speaking 
to  her  as  she  has  done.  Ida  paid  no  heed  to  her 
mother's  words,  and  after  giving  a  few  finishing 
touches  to  her  dress  relieved  her  sternness  by  a  judi 
cious  compliment,  "  I  wish  you  to  take  the  seat 
father  is  reserving  for  you,"  she  said,  "  and  appear 
the  charming  lady  that  you  know  how  to  be  so 
well;"  and  without  further  parley  they  went  down 
together. 

Once  in  the  social  eye  it  would  be  Mrs.  Mayhew's 
strongest  impulse  to  make  a  good  impression,  and  she 
behaved  beautifully.  Something  in  Ida's  manner 
puzzled  her  father,  but  she  smiled  so  reassuringly  that 
he  gave  himself  up  to  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  the  situ 
ation  that  was  so  natural  and  yet  so  novel.  He  lis 
tened  with  a  pleased  expression  to  the  music,  and 
noted,  with  deep  satisfaction,  the  friendly  and  re 
spectful  bearing  of  those  near,  towards  both  his  wife 
and  himself;  but  he  exulted  in  the  evident  admira 
tion  that  his  daughter  excited.  The  people  at  the 
Lake  House  had  already  discovered  that  there  was  a 
decided  change  for  the  better  in  the  Mayhew  family, 
and  they  greeted  the  improvement  with  a  kindly  but 
well-bred  and  unobtrusive  welcome  that  was  credit 
able  to  human  nature.  Of  course  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  whispered  surmise,  but  nothing  offensive  to 
the  eye. 

Stanton  came  and  asked  Ida  to  join  in  the  singing 
at  the  piano,  but  she  shook  her  head  decidedly. 


A   RESOLUTE  PHILOSOPHER.  497 

"  Who  has  been  hurting  your  feelings  ?  "  he  asked, 
in  a  low  tone. 

By  a  scarcely  perceptible  gesture,  she  put  her  fin 
ger  on  her  lips  and  said  quietly,  "  They  are  waiting 
for  you,  Cousin  Ik."  Then  she  added,  with  a  smile, 
"  Somewhere  I've  heard  a  proverb  expressing  sur 
prise  that  Saul  should  be  among  the  prophets.  I 
hardly  think  it  will  be  in  good  taste  for  me  to  appear 
among  them  just  yet." 

"  And  I  once  believed  her  to  be  a  fool,"  thought 
Stanton  as  he  returned  to  his  place. 

Again,  on  this  Sunday  evening,  keen  eyes  were 
watching  her  from  the  dusky  piazza,  but  so  far  from 
being  wolfish  and  ravenous,  they  were  full  of  sym 
pathy  and  admiration. 

As  Van  Berg  approached  the  parlor  windows  after 
his  return,  he  saw  Stanton  standing  by  the  piano  at 
Jennie  Burton's  side,  and  she  was  looking  up  to  him 
and  speaking  in  a  very  friendly  manner.  He  was 
not  conscious  of  any  appropriate  pangs  of  jealousy, 
and  indeed  did  not  miss  their  absence,  but  he  looked 
eagerly  around  for  the  problem  his  philosophical 
mind  was  so  bent  on  solving. 

At  first  the  favorable  impression  made  by  the  re 
united  family  caught  his  attention,  and  he  muttered, 
"  This  is  some  more  of  her  magic.  But  what  is  the 
matter  with  Miss  Mayhew  herself.  Her  eyes  are 
burning  with  a  fire  that  is  anything  but  tender  and 
sacred,  and  there  are  moments  when  her  face  is  al 
most  stern,  and  again  it  is  full  of  trouble." 

Some  one  discovered  him  on  the  piazza,  and  there 
was  a  general  wish  expressed  that  he  should  sing 


498  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

with  Miss  Burton  a  duet  that  had  become  a  favorite. 
After  this  and  one  or  two  other  pieces,  he  again 
sought  his  place  of  observation.  The  color  and 
fire  had  now  wholly  faded  from  Miss  Mayhew's  face, 
and  she  looked  pale  and  sad.  Her  father  turned  to 
her,  and  said  : 
'  "  Ida,  I  fear  you  don't  feel  well." 

"  I'm  very  tired,  and  think  I  had  better  go  to  my 
room." 

He  rose  instantly,  and  gave  her  his  arm,  but  on 
the  way  she  reassured  him:  "A  night's  sleep,  and 
the  rest  I  shall  have  with  you  in  the  city  are  just  what 
I  need;  so  don't  worry,  for  I  shall  be  ready  to  take 
the  train  with  you  in  the  morning;  "  and  Mr.  Mayhew 
rejoined  his  wife,  and  completed  a  happier  day  than 
he  ever  expected  to  see  again. 

But  poor  Ida,  when  left  alone,  buried  her  face  in 
her  hands  and  sobbed,  "  I've  wounded  his  feelings, 
I've  given  way  to  my  old  passionate  anger,  I've 
spoken  to  mother  as  a  daughter  never  should.  What 
will  ever  become  of  faulty  Ida  Mayhew  ?  The  Worm- 
eaten  emblem  is  true  of  me  still." 

Then,  as  if  whispered  to  her  by  some  good  angel, 
the  words  Mr.  Eltinge  had  spoken  recurred  to  her. 
"  Your  Saviour  will  be  as  tender  and  patient  with  you 
as  a  mother  with  her  baby  that  is  learning  to  walk." 

"  Oh,"  she  cried,  in  a  low,  passionate  tone,  "that  is 
the  kind  of  a  God  I  need  !" 

She  also  remembered  the  reassuring  words  that 
Mr.  Eltinge  had  quoted — "  As  one  whom  his  mother 
comforteth  so  will  I  comfort  you,"  and  the  promise 
was  made  good  to  her. 


A   RESOLUTE   PHILOSOPHER.  499 

"  Stanton,"  said  Van  Berg,  a  little  abruptly,  before 
they  parted  that  evening,  "  I  fear,  from  your  cousin's 
appearance,  she  was  ill  when  she  left  the  parlor." 

"  I've  given  up  trying  to  understand  Ida.  When 
she  came  down  with  her  mother,  she  looked  like  an 
incensed  goddess,  and  when  she  returned  she  reminded 
me  of  the  fading  white  lily  she  wore  in  her  hair.  I 
give  it  up,"  concluded  Stanton,  whose  language  had 
become  a  trifle  figurative  and  poetic  of  late. 

"  I  don't,"  muttered  the  artist,  after  smoking  the 
third  consecutive  cigar  in  solitude. 


500  *  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

THE  CONCERT  GARDEN  AGAIN. 

VAN  BERG  had  scarcely  ever  known  a  day  to 
pass  more  slowly  and  heavily  than  Monday. 
He  had  taken  pains  to  be  present  at  Ida's  departure 
with  her  father,  and  it  had  depressed  him  unaccount 
ably  that  she  had  been  so  quiet  as  to  seem  even  a 
little  cold  in  her  farewell.  She  would  not  look  to 
wards  him,  nor  could  he  catch  her  eye  or  obtain 
one  friendly  expression.  He  did  not  know  that  the 
poor  girl  dared  not  smile  or  speak  lest  she  should  be 
too  friendly,  and  that  she  avoided  him  with  the  in 
stinct  of  self-preservation.  His  conclusion  was :  "  She 
finds,  after  thinking  it  all  over,  that  she  has  far  more 
to  forgive  than  she  thought,  and  my  presence  re 
minds  her  of  everything  she  would  be  glad  to  for- 
get." 

He  Jried  once  or  twice  to  find  Jennie  Burton,  but 
did  not  succeed.  She  made  no  apparent  effort  to 
avoid  him,  and  was  so  cordial  in  her  manner  when 
they  met  that  he  had  severe  compunctions  that  he 
did  not  seek  her  society  resolutely  and  press  his  suit. 
"The  summer  is  drawing  to  a  close,"  he  muttered, 
"  and  nothing  is  settled.  Confound  it  all  !  I'm  the 
least  settled  of  anything.  The  best  chance  I  shall 


THE    CONCERT   GARDEN  AGAIN.  $OI 

ever  have  is  passing  swiftly.  Every  faculty  I  possess 
assures  me  that  she  is  the  one  woman  of  all  the 
world.  I  honor  her,  I  reverence  her,  I  admire  her 
and  everything  she  does  and  says.  I  trust  her  im 
plicitly,  even  though  she  is  so  shrouded  in  mystery. 
What  the  mischief  is  the  matter  with  my  old  water  - 
logged  heart  that  it  should  be  so  heavy  and  dumpish?" 

But  so  it  was.  Jennie  Burton  smiled  on  him  and 
others  as  brightly  as  ever,  and  yet  he  knew  her 
heart  was  breaking,  for  she  was  growing  slighter  and 
more  spirit-like  daily.  His  desire  to  comfort  her, 
however,  by  a  life -long  effort  ebbed  away,  till  he  was 
cursing  himself  for  a  fickle,  cold-blooded  wretch.  "  I 
had  better  shut  myself  up  in  my  studio,"  he  said  to 
himself.  "  I  may  make  a  painter,  but  I  never  will 
anything  else  ;  "  and  early  on  Tuesday  he  went  dog 
gedly  to  work  on  Mr.  Eltinge's  picture. 

His  perplexed  and  jarring  thoughts  gradually 
ceased  their  discord  as  he  became  absorbed  in  his 
loved  and  familiar  tasks.  Sweet  and  low  at  first,  and 
in  the  faint,  broken  suggestion  of  his  kindling  fancy, 
the  symphonic  poem  he  had  heard  in  the  garden  be 
gan  again,  but  at  last  his  imagination  made  it  almost 
real.  He  listened  once  more  to  Ida's  girlish,  plain 
tive  voice  blending  with  the  murmur  of  the  brook, 
the  sighing  wind  and  rustling  leaves,  and  the  occa 
sional  trill  of  a  bird.  He  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and 
his  eyes  became vfull  of  deep  and  dreamy  pleasure. 
Gradually  a 'heavy  frown  contracted  his  brow,  and  his 
face  grew  white  and  stern  as  he  repeated  words  that 
she  once  had  spoken  to  him  :  "  I  meant  to  compel 
your  respect,  and  I  thought  there  was  no  other  way." 


502 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


"  Pharisee,  fool  that  I  was  !  If  I  had  been  kind 
and  trustful  at  the  time  her  family  so  wronged  her, 
she  would  not  now  shrink  from  me  as  if  I  summed 
up  in  my  person  the  whole  of  that  wretched  experi 
ence.  Even  Stanton  appreciated  my  unutterable 
folly,  for  he  said  :  "  You  looked  at  her  in  a  way  that 
would  have  frozen  even  Jezebel  herself,"  and  now 
whenever  I  glance  towards  her  she  is  reminded  of 
that  accursed  stare.  Would  it  be  possible,  in  paint 
ing  her  likeness  for  Mr.  Eltinge,  to  make  her  face  so 
noble,  womanly,  and  pure,  that  she  would  recognize 
my  present  estimate  of  her  character,  and  so  forgive 
me  in  very  truth  ?  " 

The  care  and  earnestness  with  which  he  filled  in 
the  outlines  of  his  sketch  proved  how  zealously  he 
would  make  the  effort.  In  the  afternoon  he  drove 
over  to  the  garden  again,  and  made  a  careful  draw 
ing  of  the  tree  and  of  Mr.  Eltinge  sitting  beneath  it, 
for  Ida,  and  he  determined  to  go  to  the  city  the 
following  day  that  he  might  avail  himself  of  the  re 
sources  of  his  studio,  and  by  the  aid  of  this  hasty 
sketch  make  as  fine  a  crayon  picture  as  would  be  pos 
sible,  before  her  return  on  Saturday. 

The  old  gentleman's  heart  was  naturally  warm  to 
wards  his  protege,  whom  they  both  missed  greatly, 
and  he  spoke  of  her  often.  He  could  not  help 
noticing  that  the  artist  was  ever  an  excellent  listener 
at  such  times  and  would  even  suspend  his  work  for  a 
moment  that  he  might  not  lose  a  word.  "  It  seems 
to  me  he  takes  a  wonderful  deal  of  interest  in  her  for 
a  man  who  is  seeking  to  engage  himself  to  another 


THE    CONCERT   GARDEN  AGAIN.  503 

lady,"  mused  Mr.  Eltinge.  "  I  think  the  other  lady 
had  better  be  looking  after  him." 

As  Van  Berg  approached  the  hotel,  he  saw  Miss 
Burton  mounting  the  steps  with  a  quantity  of  ferns  in 
her  hands.  She  evidently  was  returning  from  a  long 
ramble,  and  when  she  came  down  to  supper  he  saw 
that  she  had  not  been  able  to  remove  wholly  all 
traces  of  grief.  His  conscience  smote  him  sorely. 
He  hesitated  in  his  purpose  of  going  to  the  city,  and 
determined  to  speak  of  it  frankly,  and  abandon  it,  if 
she  showed,  even  by  the  expression  of  her  face,  that 
she  would  prefer  he  would  remain,  but  he  found  him 
self  both  surprised  and  relieved  that,  so  far  from 
manifesting  the  least  reluctance  to  have  him  go,  she 
encouraged  the  plan. 

"You  have  a  noble  theme,"  she  said  cordially, 
"  and  you  can't  do  it  justice  in  the  room  of  a  sum 
mer  hotel.  Besides  I  do  think  you  owe  it  to  Miss 
Mayhew  to  make  all  the  amends  in  your  power,  and 
a  fine  picture  of  that  emblematic  tree,  and  her  kind 
old  friend  beneath  it,  may  be  of  very  great  help  to 
her  in  her  new  life.  I  hope  you  will  take  me  to  see 
Mr.  Eltinge  on  your  return." 

"  I'll  wait  over  a  day  and  take  you  there  to-mor 
row,"  he  said  promptly. 

"No,"  she  replied  decisively;  "you  have  not 
enough  time  as  it  is,  before  Saturday,  to  do  justice  to 
your  work,  and  I  want  you  to  make  Miss  Mayhew's 
friend  look  as  if  he  were  speaking  to  her." 

"Miss  Jennie,"  said  the  artist  rather  impulsively, 
"  you  haven't  a  drop  of  selfish  blood  in  your  little 
body." 


504  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  I  am  under  the  impression  that  Mr.  Van  Berg's 
estimates  of  his  lady  acquaintances  are  not  always 
correct.  Not  that  I  was  any  wiser,  but  then  such  pos 
itive  assertions  seem  hardly  the  thing  from  people 
who  have  shown  themselves  so  fallible." 

"  I'm  right  for  once,"  Van  Berg  insisted.  "  Do 
you  know  that  Miss  Mayhew  and  I  nearly  had  a  fall 
ing  out.  Indeed  she  has  been  rather  cool  towards 
me  ever  since,  and  you  were  the  cause.  I  believed 
with  absolute  certainty  that  the  new  Ida  Mayhew 
that  I  had  learned  to  know  in  Mr.  Eltinge's  garden 
would  gravitate  towards  you  as  surely  as  two  drops 
of  dew  run  together  when  brought  sufficiently  near, 
and  I  began  to  speak  quite  enthusiastically  of  what 
friends  you  would  surely  become,  when  Miss  May- 
hew's  manner  taught  me  I  had  better  change  the  sub 
ject.  Oddly  enough,  she  has  never  liked  you,  and  yet, 
in  justice  to  her,  I  must  add  that  she  acted  conscien 
tiously,  and  I  have  never  heard  one  lady  speak  of  an 
other  more  favorably  and  sincerely,  than  she  spoke 
of  you,  though  it  seemingly  cost  her  an  effort." 

A  sudden  moisture  came  into  Jennie  Burton's  eyes, 
and  she  said  under  her  breath  :  "  Poor  child  !  that 
was  noble  and  generous  in  her  to  speak  so  of  me. 
Oh,  how  blind  he  is  !  "  But  with  mock  gravity  she 
answered  him  : 

"  Your  rather  sentimental  figure  of  speech,  Mr. 
Van  Berg,  shows  where  your  error  lies!  Miss  May- 
hew  and  myself  are  not  pellucid  drops  of  dew  that 
you  can  look  through  at  a  glance.  We  are  women  ; 
and  the  one  thing  in  this  world  which  men  never  will 
learn  to  understand  is  a  woman.  I'm  going  to  puz- 


THE    CONCERT   GARDEN  AGAIN.  505 

zle  you  still  further.  I  am  learning  to  have  a  very 
thorough  respect  for  Miss  Mayhew.  I  am  beginning 
to  admire  her  exceedingly,  and  to  think  that  she  is 
growing  exquisitely  beautiful;  and  yet  were  she  here 
this  week  you  would  find  that  I  would  not  seek  her 
society.  Give  your  mind  to  your  art,  and  never 
hope  to  untangle  the  snarl  of  a  woman's  mind.  Men, 
in  attempting  such  folly,  have  become  hopelessly  en 
tangled.  Take  a  woman's  word  for  it — what  you 
can't  see  you  can't  reason  out.  I've  no  doubt  but 
that  Miss  Mayhew  has  excellent  reasons  for  disliking 
me,  and  the  fact  that  you  can't  understand  them  is 
nothing  against  them." 

"  Miss  Jennie,"  said  Van  Berg  resolutely,  "  for 
once  I  cannot  take  your  word  for  it.  You  two 
ladies  have  puzzled  me  all  summer,  and  I'll  never  be 
content  till  I  solve  the  mysteries  which  so  baffle  me. 
My  interest  is  not  curiosity,  but  friendship,  to  say  the 
least,  that  I  hope  will  last  through  life.  You  will 
tell  me  some  day  all  your  trouble,  and  you  will  feel 
the  better  for  telling  me." 

She  became  very  pale  at  these  words,  and  said 
gravely  :  "  I  cannot  promise  that — I  doubt  it.  You 
may  have  to  trust  me  blindly  till  you  forget  me." 

"  I  do  not  trust  you  blindly;  I  never  will  forget 
you,"  he  began,  impetuously. 

"  Good-night,  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  and  in  a 
moment  he  was  alone  on  the  piazza.. 

"  She  is  an  angel  of  light,"  he  muttered,  "  and  not 
a  woman.  I  could  worship  her,  but  I'm  too  earthy 
in  my  nature  to  love  her  as  I  ought." 

He  took  the  earliest  train  to  New  York,  and  so  had 
22 


506  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

a  long  afternoon  in  his  studio.  He  was  surprised  to 
find  how  absorbed  he  soon  became  in  his  work. 
"  Miss  Jennie  is  right,"  he  thought ;  "  I'm  an  artist, 
and  not  a  reformer  or  a  metaphysician,  and  I  had 
better  spend  my  time  here  than  in  trying  to  solve 
feminine  enigmas ; "  and  he  worked  like  a  beaver 
until  the  fading  light  compelled  him  to  desist. 
"  There,"  he  said,  "  that  is  a  fair  beginning.  Two 
or  three  more  days  of  work  like  this  will  secure  me,  I 
think,  a  friendlier  glance  than  Miss  Ida  gave  me 
last."  From  which  words  it  might  be  gathered  that 
he  was  thinking  of  other  rewards  than  mere  success 
in  his  art. 

In  the  evening  the  wand  of  Theodore  Thomas  had 
a  spell  which  he  never  thought  of  resisting,  and  it 
must  be  admitted  that  there  lurked  in  his  mind  the 
hope  that  Ida  and  her  father  might  be  drawn  to  the 
concert  garden  also.  If  so,  he  was  sure  he  would 
pursue  his  investigations. 

He  was  rewarded,  for  Mr.  Mayhew  and  his  daugh 
ter  soon  entered  and  took  seats  in  the  main  lobby, 
where  he  and  Stanton  had  sat  nearly  three  months 
before.  Van  Berg  congratulated  himself  that  he  was 
outside  in  the  promenade,  and  so  had  not  been  ob 
served,  and  he  sought  a  dusky  seat  from  which  he 
might  seek  some  further  knowledge  of  a  character 
that  had  won  and  retained  a  deepening  interest  from 
the  time  of  their  first  meeting,  which  now  seemed  an 
age  ago.  Events  mark  time  more  truthfully  than 
the  course  of  the  sun. 

At  first  she  seemed  only  solicitous  about  her  father, 
who  lighted  a  cigar  and  said  something  to  her  that 


THE    CONCERT  GARDEN  AGAIN.  507 

must  have  been  very  reassuring  and  pleasant,  for  a 
glad  smile  broke  over  her  pale  face.  But  it  vanished 
quickly,  and  the  artist  saw  that  her  habitual  expres 
sion  was  sad,  and  even  dejected.  She  did  not  look 
around  with  the  breezy  alertness  natural  to  a  young 
girl  in  such  a  place.  The  curiously  diverse  people 
around  her  excited  no  interest,  and  she  appeared  in 
clined  to  lapse  into  deep  reveries,  even  when  the  music 
was  light  and  gay,  as  was  the  character  of  the  earlier 
part  of  the  entertainment.  At  times  she  would  start 
perceptibly  when  her  father  spoke  to  her,  and  hesitate 
in  her  answer,  as  if  she  had  to  recall  her  thoughts 
from  far-off  wanderings.  It  would  seem  that  Mr. 
Mayhew  was  troubled  by  her  sad  face  and  absent 
manner.  He  justly  felt  that  the  brilliant  music  ought 
to  enliven  her  like  sunlight ;  and  that  it  did  not 
proved  the  presence  of  some  intervening  cloud. 

Van  Berg's  sympathies  and  interest  at  last  became 
so  strong  that  he  determined  to  speak  to  her  at  once, 
but  before  he  could  take  a  step  towards  her  the 
orchestra  began  playing  Beethoven's  Fifth  Symphony, 
the  very  music  she  ignored  for  the  sake  of  Mr. 
Minty's  compliments  when  first  she  had  so  exasper 
ated  him  by  her  marvellously  perfect  features,  but 
disagreeable  face.  He  had  not  looked  at  the  pro 
gramme,  and  that  this  symphony  should  now  be  re 
peated  seemed  such  a  fortunate  coincidence  that  he 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  contrasting  the 
woman  before  him  with  the  silly  and  undeveloped 
girl  he  first  had  seen.  Moreover,  he  knew  that  the 
music  must  remind  her  of  him,  and  he  might  gain  a 
hint  of  her  present  feelings  toward  him.  Either  the 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

beauty  or  something  familiar  in  the  exquisite  strains 
soon  caught  her  attention,  and  she  took  up  her  pro 
gramme,  which  hitherto  had  lain  neglected  on  her  lap. 
She  crimsoned  instantly,  and  her  brow  contracted 
into  a  frown  ;  a  moment  later  an  expression  of  in 
tense  disgust  passed  over  her  face. 

"  Now  I  know  what  she  thinks  of  me,"  he  thought, 
with  a  sinking  heart.  "  I  doubt  whether  I  had  better 
speak  to  her  this  evening,  and  at  this  place." 

"What's  the  matter,  Ida?"  asked  her  father. 
"  Don't  you  like  the  music  ?  " 

"  I  have  disagreeable  associations  connected  with 
it.  The  fault  is  wholly  in  me,  and  not  the  music." 

"  Ida,  darling,  you  are  making  me  so  happy  that  I 
wish  I  could  do  as  much  for  you." 

"  Don't  worry,  father,"  she  said,  trying  to  smile. 
"  I'm  happier  than  I  deserve.  Listen  !  " 

As  the  last  exquisite  cadences  died  away,  Van  Berg 
saw  that  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes.  What  did  they 
mean  ?  "  Stanton  repeated  my  harsh  words  and  she 
recalls  them,"  was  the  best  explanation  he  could  think 
of.  "  By  the  fates !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  if  there  isn't  Sib- 
ley  with -a  toilet  as  spotless  as  he  is  himself  smirched 
and  blackened.  Curse  him  !  he  actually  has  the  im 
pudence  to  speak  to  Miss  Mayhew,"  and  the  artist 
started  up  threateningly,  but  before  discovering  him 
self,  he  remembered  that  Ida's  natural  protector  was 
at  her  side.  And  yet  he  fairly  trembled  with  rage 
and  protest,  that  this  fellow  should  be  so  near  her 
again.  He  also  saw  that  Mr.  Mayhew  rose  and 
looked  very  menacing.  But  Ida  was  equal  to  the 
emergency,  and  extricated  herself  with  womanly  dig- 


THE    CONCERT   GARDEN  AGAIN. 


509 


nity,  for  while  she  blushed  scarlet  with  shame,  she 
was  quiet  and  self-possessed,  and  paid  no  heed  to  his 
eagerly  proffered  hand. 

"  I  was  not  myself  that  hateful  day,  Miss  Ida,"  he 
said  hastily. 

"  I  fear  you  were,  sir,"  she  coldly  replied.  "At 
any  rate,  I  am  not  my  old  self,  and  until  you  win  and 
maintain  the  character  of  a  gentleman,  we  must  be 
strangers.  Good  evening,  sir ;  "  and  she  turned  her 
back  upon  him. 

His  face  became  fairly  livid  with  rage,  but  on  en 
countering  the  stern  and  threatening  eyes  of  Mr. 
Mayhew  he  slunk  away  and  left  the  building. 

"  That's  my  peerless,  noble  Ida,"  whispered  her 
father.  "  Oh,  thank  God  !  thank  God  !  I  could  not 
have  survived  if  you  had  realized  the  fears  I  once  had 
about  that  low  scoundrel." 

Ida's  lip  quivered  as  she  said,  "  Father,  please  take 
me  home.  I  don't  enjoy  myself  here."  They  had 
taken  but  few  steps  towards  the  door  when  the  artist 
confronted  them  with  eyes  aglow  with  admiration  and 
sympathy. 

Poor  Ida  had  no  time  to  mask  her  feelings  or  check 
her  impulses,  and  she  took  his  extended  hand  as  if  she 
were  sinking,  while  the  color  and  light  of  welcome 
flashed  brightly  into  her  face.  Then  her  beautiful 
confusion  suggested  that  she  felt  her  greeting  had 
been  too  cordial,  and  she  sought  with  indifferent  suc 
cess  to  regain  her  dignity. 

"  Please  don't  go  just  yet,"  said  Van  Berg  eagerly. 
"The  concert  is  but  half  over,  and  there  are  some 
pretty  things  still  to  come." 


5io 


A   PACE  ILLUMINED. 


Ida  hesitated  and  looked  doubtfully  at  her  father. 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  stay,"  he  said  with  a  smile, 
"  if  you  feel  able  to.  My  daughter  is  not  very  well, 
I  fear,"  he  added  in  explanation  to  the  artist. 

"Perhaps  it  has  been  a  little  close  here  in  the 
lobby,"  suggested  Van  Berg,  "and  a  walk  in  the 
open  air  will  be  agreeable.  If  you  will  trust  your 
daughter  to  me,  sir,  I  promise  to  bring  her  back  be 
fore  she  is  tired.  I  have  much  to  tell  her  about  her 
old  friend,  Mr.  Eltinge,  whom  I  visited  yesterday, 
and  the  pictures.  Perhaps  you  will  go  with  us,  for 
I  know  what  I  have  to  say  will  interest  you  also." 

"  I  think  I'll  light  another  cigar  and  wait  for  you 
here,"  Mr.  Mayhew  answered  quietly.  "  Old  people 
like  to  sit  still  after  their  day's  work,  and  if  Ida  feels 
strong  enough  I  would  enjoy  hearing  the  rest  of  the 
concert." 

"  It  would  be  hard  to  resist  the  temptation  to  hear 
anything  about  dear  old  Mr.  Eltinge,"  said  Ida,  tak 
ing  the  artist's  arm,  and  feeling  as  if  she  were  being 
swept  away  on  a  shining  tide. 

"  You  were  glad  to  see  me,  Miss  Mayhew,  and  you 
can't  deny  it,"  Van  Berg  began  exultantly. 

"  You  almost  crushed  my  hand,  and  it  aches  still," 
was  her  demure  reply. 

"  Well,  that  was  surely  the  wound  of  a  friend." 

"You  are  very  good  to  speak  to  me  at  all,  after 
all  that's  happened,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone  and  with 
downcast  face. 

"  What  a  strange  coincidence  !  That  is  exactly 
what  I  was  thinking  of  you.  I  almost  feared  you 
would  treat  me  as  you  did  Sibley.  How  much  good 


THE    CONCERT   GARDEN  AGAIN.  jjj 

it  did  me  to  see  him  slinking  away  like  a  whipped 
cur  !  I  never  realized  before  how  perfectly  helpless 
even  brazen  villainy  is  in  the  presence  of  womanly 
dignity." 

4<  Why,  were  you  present  then  ?  "  she  asked,  with 
ta  quick  blush. 

"  Not  exactly  present,  but  I  saw  your  face  and  his, 
and  a  stronger  contrast  I  scarcely  expect  to  see 
again." 

"  You  artists  look  at  everything  and  everybody  as 
pictures." 

"Now,  Miss  Mayhew,  you  are  growing  severe 
again.  I  don't  carry  the  shop  quite  as  far  as  that,  and 
I  have  not  been  looking  at  you  as  a  picture  at  all 
this  evening.  I  shall  make  known  the  whole  enor 
mity  of  my  offence,  and  then  if  I  must  follow  Sibley, 
I  must,  but  I  shall  carry  with  me  a  little  shred  of 
your  respect  for  telling  the  truth.  I  had  a  faint  hope 
that  you  and  your  father  would  come  to-night,  and  I 
was  looking  for  you,  and  when  you  came  I  watched 
you.  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  comparing 
the  Miss  Mayhew  I  now  so  highly  esteem  and  re 
spect,  with  the  lady  I  first  met  at  this  place." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  said  Ida,  in  a  low,  hurt 
tone,  "  I  don't  think  that  was  fair  to  me,  or  right." 

"  I  am  confessing  and  not  excusing  myself,  Miss 
Mayhew.  I  once  very  justly  appeared  to  you  like  a 
prig,  and  now  I  fear  I  shall  seem  a  spy  ;  but  after 
our  visit  to  that  old  garden  together,  and  your  frank 
ness  to  me,  I  feel  under  bonds  to  tell  the  whole 
truth.  You  said  we  were  fated  to  misunderstand 
each  other.  I  think  not,  for  if  you  ever  permit  me 


512  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

to  be  your  friend  I  shall  be  the  frankest  one  you  ever 
had  ;  "  at  these  words  he  felt  her  hand  trembling  on 
his  arm,  and  she  would  not  look  up  nor  make  any 
reply. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  desperately,  "  I  expect  Sibley's 
fate  will  soon  be  mine.  I  suppose  it  was  a  mean 
thing  to  watch  you,  but  it  would  seem  a  meaner 
thing  to  me  not  to  tell  you.  I  was  about  to  speak 
to  you,  Miss  Mayhew,  when  by  another  odd  coinci 
dence  the  orchestra  commenced  playing  music  that 
I  knew  would  remind  you  of  me.  I  was  gaining  the 
impression  before  you  left  the  country  that  as  you 
came  to  think  the  past  all  over,  you  had  found  that 
there  was  more  against  me  than  you  could  forgive, 
or  else  that  I  was  so  inseparably  associated  with  that 
which  was  painful  that  you  would  be  glad  to  forget 
the  one  with  the  other.  I  must  admit  that  this  im 
pression  was  greatly  strengthened  by  the  expression 
of  your  face,  and  I  almost  decided  to  leave  the  place 
without  speaking  to  you.  But  I  found  I  could  not, 
and — well,  you  know  I  did  not.  You  see  I'm  at 
your  mercy  again." 

Ida  was  greatly  relieved,  for  she  now  learned  that 
he  had  discovered  nothing  in  his  favor,  and  that  she 
was  still  mistress  of  the  situation. 

"  I  do  not  think  you  are  very  penitent ;  I  fear  you 
would  do  the  same  thing  over  again,"  she  said. 

"  Indeed,  Miss  Mayhew,  when  I  first  met  you  here 
I  thought  I  would  always  do  the  right  and  proper 
thing,  and  I  fear  I  thought  some  things  right  because 
I  did  them.  I've  lived  a  hundred  years  since  that 
time,  and  am  beginning  to  find  myself  out.  Didn't 


THE    CONCERT   GARDEN  AGAIN. 

you  think  me  the  veriest  prig   that  ever  smiled  in  a 
superior  way  at  the  world  ?  " 

"I  don't  think  I  shall  give  you  my  opinion,"  she 
replied,  averting  her  face  to  hide  a  blush  and  laugh. 

"  No  need.  I  saw  your  opinion  in  your  face  when 
you  looked  down  at  your  programme  half  an  hour 
since." 

"  You  are  mistaken;  I  was  thinking  of  myself  at 
that  moment,  for  I  could  not  help  remembering  what 
a  fool  I  must  have  appeared  to  you  on  that  occa 
sion." 

He  looked  at  her  in  surprise.  "  Miss  Burton  was 
right,"  he  ejaculated,  "  I  never  shall  understand  you." 

"Was  she  talking  about  me?"  asked  Ida,  in  a 
low  tone. 

"Yes,  and  she  spoke  of  you  in  the  most  compli 
mentary  way,  as  you  did  of  her.  Why  the  mischief 
you  two  ladies  do  not  become  the  warmest  friends  is 
beyond  me.  Sit  down  here  a  little  while,  Miss  May- 
hew,  for  you  are  growing  tired  ;  "  and  she  was  very 
glad  to  comply'. 

As  she  made  no  effort  to  continue  the  conversation 
he  resumed,  "  You  haven't  told  me  what  my  pun 
ishment  is  to  be." 

"  Are  you  so  anxious  to  be  punished  ?  "  she  asked, 
looking  up  shyly  at  him. 

"  Well,  my  conscience  troubles  me  greatly,  and  I 
feel  I  ought  to  do  something  for  you  in  the  way  of 
expiation." 

"  And  so  I  gather  that  anything  done  for  me  would 
be  such  severe  penance  that  your  conscience  would 
be  appeased." 
22* 


514  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Now,  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  replied,  looking  ear 
nestly  into  her  face,  "  tell  me  truly,  do  you  gather  any 
such  impression  from  my  words  and  manner  ?  " 

But  she  kept  her  eyes  resolutely  on  the  ground, 
and  said  demurely,  "  Such  was  the  obvious  meaning 
of  your  words." 

"  Do  you  know  why  I  am  in  the  city  ?  "  he  asked, 
after  a  moment. 

"  I  have  not  presumed  to  think  why." 

"  Perhaps  I  can  make  a  little  inroad  in  your  indif 
ference  when  I  tell  you  that  I  have  spent  several  hours 
in  my  studio  working  on  your  picture,  and  that  I  in 
tend  to  work  the  remainder  of  the  week  so  as  to  have 
it  ready  for  you  Saturday  evening." 

She  looked  up  now  with  a  face  radiant  with  sur 
prise  and  pleasure,  "  O  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  did  not 
dream  of  your  taking  so  much  trouble  for  me." 

"  That's  a  small  payment  on  an  old  debt.  What 
can  I  do  for  you  while  I  am  in  the  city,  to  atone  for 
my  rudeness  ?  " 

She  looked  at  him  hesitatingly  and  wistfully  a 
moment. 

"  I  know  you  wish  something,  but  fear  to  ask  it," 
he  said,  gently,  "  and  I'm  sorry  to  remember  I've 
,  done  so  little  to  inspire  your  confidence." 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said  in  a  low  tone,  looking 
earnestly  at  him  while  she  spoke,  so  as  to  learn  from 
his  expression  how  he  received  her  request.  "Your 
kindness  does  tempt  me  to  ask  a  favor.  Please  re 
member  I'm  acting  from  an  impulse  caused  by  this 
unexpected  talk  we  are  having,  and  pardon  me  if  I 
overstep  the  bounds  of  reserve  or  suggest  a  task  that 


THE   CONCERT  GARDEN  AGAIN.  5x5 

you  might  very  naturally  shrink  from  as  disagree 
able." 

"  I  pledge  you  my  word  at  once  to  do  what  you 
wish." 

"  No,  don't  do  that.  Wait  till  you  hear  all.  If 
when  it  comes  easily  and  naturally  in  your  way  you 
will  do  a  little  towards  helping  me  keep  father  the 
man  he  can  be,  and  is  trying  to  be,  my  gratitude  will 
be  deeper  than  you  can  understand.  I  am  studying 
him  very  carefully  and  I  find  that  any  encouraging 
recognition  from  those  who  have  known  his  past,  has 
great  weight  with  him.  At  the  same  time  it  must 
be  very  unobtrusive  and  come  as  a  matter  of  course 
as  it  were.  You  gave  him  your  society  one  Sunday 
morning  last  June  in  a  way  that  did  him  a  great  deal 
of  good,  and  if  I  had  only  seconded  your  efforts 
then,  everything  might  have  been  different.  I  can 
never  remember  that  day  without  a  blush  of  shame. 
I  can't  help  the  past,  but  my  whole  soul  is  now  bent 
on  making  amends  to  father.  I  fear,  however,  my 
deep  solicitude  has  led  me  to  ask  more  than  good 
taste  can  sanction." 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  said  the  artist,  eagerly,  "  this  is 
one  of  the  best  moments  of  my  life.  You  could  not 
have  made  such  a  request  unless  you  trusted  me, 
unless  you  had  fully  forgiven  me  all  the  wrong  I 
have  done  you.  I  doubted  if  I  could  ever  win  your 
friendship,  but  I  think  I  can  claim  a  friend's  place 
already  in  your  esteem,  since  you  are  willing  to  let 
me  share  in  so  sacred  a  duty.  I  renew  my  pledge 
with  double  emphasis." 

He  never  forgot  the  smile  with  which  she  rewarded 


516  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

him,  as  she  said,  in  a  low  tone,  "  That's  better  than 
I  thought.  You  are  very  kind  to  me.  But  I'm  stay 
ing  too  long  from  father." 

"  We'll  understand  each  other  eventually,"  he 
said,  gently.  *'  Now  I  know  why  tears  were  in  your 
eyes  before  the  symphony  was  over." 

"  No  you  don't,"  she  whispered  to  herself. 

As  they  took  their  seats  by  Mr.  Mayhew  he  re 
marked  with  a  smile,  "  Mr.  Van  Berg  must  have  had 
a  long  budget  of  news  from  your  good  old  friend." 

Ida  looked  at  the  artist  in  dismay,  and  was  still 
more  embarrassed  as  she  saw  a  sudden  flash  of  mirth 
and  exultation  in  his  eyes.  But  he  turned  to  Mr. 
Mayhew  and  replied,  promptly,  "  Two  pictures  are 
growing  out  of  my  visits  to  Mr.  Eltinge  and  his  gar 
den.  The  one  that  is  for  Mr.  Eltinge  contains  a  por 
trait  of  Miss  Mayhew  as  I  saw  her  reading  to  him.  I 
wish  you  and  your  daughter  would  visit  my  studio 
to-morrow  and  see  the  sketches,  and  if  Miss  Mayhew 
would  give  me  one  or  two  sittings,  I  could  make  a 
much  better  picture  for  Mr.  Eltinge  than  now  is  pos 
sible,  and  I'm  anxious  to  do  the  very  best  I  can  for 
him. 

"  I  would  be  very  glad  to  come,"  said  Mr.  May- 
hew,  and  his  pleased  expression  confirmed  his 
ywords.  "  Will  a  visit  before  I  go  down  town  be  too 
early  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.     I  am  always  at  work  early." 

"  Well,  Ida,  does  Mr.  Eltinge  miss  your  visits  very 
much  ?  It's  selfish  in  me  to  let  you  stay  in  the  city." 

"  He  does  indeed,  sir,"  said  the  artist,  answering 
for  her.  "  He  talked  to  me  continually  about  her 


THE    CONCERT   GARDEN  AGAIN. 


517 


yesterday,  although  I  can't  say  I  tried  to  change  the 
subject" 

"  Father,  Mr.  Van  Berg  shall  not  shield  my  short 
comings/'  said  Ida,  with  crimson  cheeks.  "  I  for 
got  to  ask  about  Mr.  Eltinge.  To  tell  the  truth,  we 
were  talking  of  old  times.  I  met  Mr.  Van  Berg  here 
last  June  and  I  made  a  very  bad  impression  on  him." 

"  And  I  at  the  same  time  made  a  worse  impres 
sion  on  Miss  Mayhew,"  added  the  artist. 

"  Well,"  said  her  father,  with  a  doubtful  smile  and 
a  puzzled  glance  from  one  to  the  other,  "  one  almost 
might  be  tempted  to  believe  that  you  had  been  re 
vising  your  impressions." 

"  Mine  has  not  been  revised,  but  changed  alto 
gether,"  said  Van  Berg,  decisively. 

"  Come,  father,  let  us  go  at  once  lest  Mr.  Van 
Berg's  impressions  change  again,"  and  her  mirthful 
glance  as  she  gave  him  her  hand  in  parting  revealed 
a  new  element  in  her  character.  She  was  not  devel 
oping  the  cloying  sweetness  of  honey. 


5i8  ^  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER   XLVIII. 

IDA'S  TEMPTATION. 

IF  Van  Berg  had  given  as  much  thought  to  him 
self  that  evening  as  he  did  to  Ida  Mayhew  he 
might  have  discovered  some  rather  odd  phenomena 
in  his  varying  mental  states.  Earlier  in  the  summer 
he  had  been  a  very  deliberate  and  conscientious 
wooer.  He  had  leisurely  taken  counsel  of  his  reason, 
judgment,  and  good  taste  ;  he  mentally  consulted 
his  parents,  and  satisfied  himself  that  Miss  Burton 
would  have  peculiar  charms  for  them,  and  so  it  had 
come  to  seem  almost  a  duty  as  well  as  a  privilege 
to  seek  that  young  lady's  hand.  The  sagacity  and 
nice  appreciation  of  character  on  which  he  had  so 
greatly  prided  himself  led  to  the  belief  that  fortune 
in  giving  him  a  chance  to  win  such  a  maiden  had 
been  very  kind.  That  his  pulse  was  so  even  and  his 
heart  had  so  little  to  say  in  the  matter  was  only  a 
proof  that  he  did  not  possess  an  unbalanced  head-} 
long  nature  like  that  of  Stanton,  who  had  soon  be 
come  wholly  mastered  by  his  passion.  He  had  at 
one  time  reasoned  it  all  out  to  his  satisfaction,  and 
believed  he  was  paying  his  suit  to  the  woman  he 
would  make  his  wife  in  an  eminently  proper  way. 
But  now  that  he  was  merely  trying  to  obtain  a  young 


IDAS   TEMPTATION1. 

girl's  friendship,  the  cool  and  masterful  poise  which 
he  had  then  been  able  to  maintain,  was  apparently 
deserting  him.  He  might  have  asked  himself  if  he 
ever  remembered  being  such  an  enthusiastic  friend 
before.  He  might  have  considered  how  often  he 
had  kept  awake  land  counted  the  hours  till  he  should 
meet  a  friend  from  whom  he  had  but  just  parted. 
That  these  obvious  thoughts  and  contrasts  did  not 
occur  to  him  only  proved  that  he  was  smitten  already 
by  that  blindness  which  a  certain  spiritual  malady 
usually  occasions  in  its  earlier  stages. 

As  for  poor  Ida,  she  still  felt  that  her  little  boat 
was  being  carried  forward  by  a  shining  tide — whither 
she  dared  not  think.  She  had  come  to  the  city  to 
escape  from  the  artist,  and  as  a  result  she  might 
spend  long  hours  alone  with  him  in  his  studio  and 
see  far  more  of  him  than  if  she  had  remained  in  the 
country.  She  had  not  sought  it — she  had  not  even 
dared  to  hope  or  dream  of  such  a  thing  ;  but  now 
that  this  exquisite  cup  of  pleasure  had  been  pressed 
to  her  very  lips  by  other  hands  she  could  not  refuse  it. 

Her  father  had  watched  her  keenly  but  furtively 
since  she  had  been  his  companion,  and  until  the  ar 
tist  had  accosted  her  the  evening  before  had  not  been 
able  to  understand  the  depression  which  she  could 
not  disguise  wholly  from  him  ;  but  the  light  and  wel 
come  that  flashed  into  her  face  when  greeting  Van 
Berg  had  suggested  her  secret,  and  all  that  followed 
confirmed  his  surmise.  The  truth  was  plainer  still 
when  she  came  down  to  their  early  breakfast  the  next 
morning  with  color  in  her  cheeks  and  a  fitful  light  of 
excitement  in  her  eyes. 


520  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

As  he  realized  the  truth  he  fairly  trembled  with 
apprehension  and  longing.  "  Oh,  if  Ida  could  only 
marry  that  man  I  would  be  almost  beside  myself  with 
joy,"  he  thought ;  "  but  I  fear  it  is  rash  even  to  hope 
for  such  a  thing.  Indeed,  I  myself  am  the  obstacle 
that  would  probably  prevent  it  all.  4  The  Van  Bergs 
are  a  proud  race,  and  this  young  man's  father  knows 
me  too  well.  O  God  !  I  could  be  annihilated  if 
thereby  my  child  could  be  happy." 

"  Ida,"  he  said,  hesitatingly,  "  perhaps  I  had  better 
not  go  with  you  this  morning.  I  imagine  Mr.  Van 
Berg  asked  me  out  of  politeness  rather  than  from 
any  wish  to  see  me  and — and — I  think  I  had  better 
not  go." 

She  looked  up  at  him  swiftly,  and  the  rich  color 
mantled  her  face,  for  she  read  his  thoughts  in  part. 
But  she  only  said  quietly : 

"Then  I  will  not  go." 

"  That  would  not  be  right  or  courteous,  Ida," 
"  but  I  think  you  young  people  will  get  on  better 
without  me." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Father  ;  I  never  intend  to  get 
on  without  you,  and  any  friend  of  mine  who  does  not 
welcome  you   becomes   a  stranger  from  that  hour. 
But  I  think  you  are  doing  Mr.  Van  Berg  injustice. ; 
At  any  rate  we  will  give  him  a  chance  to  show  a1 
better  spirit." 

"Ida,  my  child,  if  you  only  knew  how  gladly  I 
would  sacrifice  myself  to  make  you  happy  !  " 

She  came  to  him  and  put  her  arms  around  his  neck 
and  looking  up  into  his  face  said,  with  the  earnestness 
and  solemnity  of  a  vow,  "  I  will  take  no  happiness 


IDA'S   TEMPTATION.  52 1 

which  I  cannot  receive  as  your  loving  daughter.  As 
long  as  you  are  the  man  you  have  been  since  Sunday 
I  will  stand  proudly  at  your  side.  If  you  should  ever 
be  weak  again  you  will  drag  me  down  with  you." 

He  held  her  from  him  and  looked  at  her  as  a  miser 
might  gloat  over  his  treasure. 

"  Ida,  my  good  angel,"  he  murmured. 

"Nonsense!"  she  exclaimed,  trying  to  hide  her 
feelings  by  a  little  brusqueness,  "I'm  as  human  a 
girl  as  there  is  in  this  city,  and  will  try  your  patience 
a  hundred  times  before  the  year  is  out.  Come,  let 
us  go  and  visit  this  proud  artist.  He  had  better 
beware,  or  he  may  find  an  expression  on  my  face 
that  he  won't  like  if  I  should  decide  to  give  him  a 
sitting." 

But  the  artist  did  like  the  expression  of  Ida's  face 
as  he  glanced  up  from  his  work  with  great  frequency 
and  with  an  admiring  glow  in  his  eyes  that  was 
anything  but  cool  and  business-like.  Even  her  jeal 
ous  love  had  not  detected  a  tone  or  act  in  his  recep 
tion  of  her  father  that  was  not  all  she  could  ask,  and 
she  had  never  seen  the  poor  man  look  so  pleased  and 
hopeful  as  when  he  left  the  studio  for  his  office. 
There  had  not  been  a  particle  of  patronage  in  Van 
Berg's  manner,  but  only  the  cordial  and  respectful 
courtesy  of  a  younger  gentleman  towards  an  elderly 
one.  Mr.  Mayhew  had  been  made  at  home  at  once, 
and  before  he  left,  the  artist  had  obtained  his  promise 
to  come  again  with  his  daughter  on  the  following 
morning. 

"  His  bearing  towards  father  was  the  perfection  of 
good  breeding,"  thought  Ida,  and  it  would  seem  that 


522  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

some  of  the  gratitude  with  which  her  heart  over 
flowed  found  its  way  into  her  tones  and  eyes. 

"  You  look  so  pleasantly  and  kindly,  that  you 
must  be  thinking  of  Mr.  Eltinge,"  said  Van  Berg. 

"  You  are  not  to  paint  my  thoughts,"  said  Ida,  with 
a  quick  flush. 

-I  wish  I  could." 

"  I'm  glad  you  can't." 

"  You  do  puzzle  one,  Miss  Mayhew.  On  the  day 
of  our  visit  to  the  old  garden  your  thoughts  seemed 
as  clear  to  me  as  the  water  of  the  little  brook,  and  I 
supposed  I  saw  all  that  was  in  your  mind.  But  be 
fore  the  day  was  over  I  felt  that  I  did  not  understand 
you  at  all." 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I'm  astonished  that  you  are  an 
artist." 

"  Because  of  the  character  of  my  work  ?  " 

"No,  indeed.  But  such  a  wonderful  taste  for 
solving  problems  suggests  a  metaphysician.  I  think 
you  would  become  discouraged  with  such  tasks. 
Just  think  how  many  ladies  there  are  in  the  world, 
and  I'm  sure  any  one  of  them  is  a  more  abstruse 
problem  than  I  am." 

The  artist  looked  up  at  her  in  surprise  and  bit  his 
lip  with  a  faint  trace  of  embarrassment,  but  he  said, 
after  a  moment,  "  But  it  does  not  follow  that  they 
are  interesting  problems." 

"  You  don't  know,"  she  replied. 

"  And  never  shall,"  he  added.  "  I  do  know,  how 
ever,  that  you  are  a  very  interesting  one." 

"  I  didn't  agree  to  come  here  to  be  solved  as  a 
problem,"  she  said  demurely,  but  with  a  mirthful 


IDAS    TEMPTATION.  523 

twinkle  in  her  eyes  ;  "  I  only  promised  you  a  sitting 
for  the  sake  of  Mr.  Eltinge." 

"Two  sittings,  Miss  Mayhew." 

"  Well,  yes,  if  two  are  needful." 

.     "  By  all  the  nine  muses  !   you  do  not  expect  me  to 
Jmake  a  good  picture  from  only  two  sittings  ?  " 

"  You  know  how  slight  is  my  acquaintance  with 
any  of  those  superior  divinities,  and  in  this  sacred 
haunt  of  theirs  I  feel  that  I  should  express  all  my 
opinions  with  bated  breath;  but  truly,  Mr.  Van  Berg, 
I  thought  you  could  make  a  picture  from  the  sketch 
you  made  in  the  garden." 

"Yes,  I  could  make  a  picture,  but  every  sitting 
you  will  give  enables  me  to  make  a  better  picture, 
and  you  know  how  much  we  both  owe  to  Mr. 
Eltinge." 

"  I'm  learning  every  day  how  much,  how  very 
much,  I  owe  to  him,"  she  said,  earnestly. 

"Then  for  his  sake  you  will  promise  to  come  as 
often  as  I  wish  you  to,"  was  his  eager  response,  and 
it  was  so  eager  that  she  looked  up  at  him  in  sur 
prise. 

"  Really,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  am  becoming  bewildered 
as  to  what  that  little  sketch  I  asked  you  to  make  may 
involve." 

"  Will  it  be  so  wearisome  for  you  to  come  here  ?  " 
he  asked,  with  a  look  of  disappointment  that  sur 
prised  her  still  more. 

"  I  didn't  say  that,"  was  her  quick  reply  ;  "  and  I 
promise  to  come  to-morrow.  Perhaps  you  will  find 
that  sufficient." 

"  I  know  it  won't  be  sufficient." 


524  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Cousin  Ik  has  told  me  that  you  are  very  pains 
taking  and  conscientious  in  your  work." 

"  Thanks  to  Cousin  Ik.  When  I  get  a  chance  to 
paint  such  a  picture  as  this  I  do,  indeed,  wish  to 
make  the  most  of  it." 

"  But  how  long  must  Mr.  Eltinge  wait  for  it  ?  " 

"I  think  we  can  send  it  to  him  as  a  Christmas 
present." 

"  We  ?     You,  rather,  will  send  it." 

"  No,  we  ;  or  rather,  in  giving  me  the  sittings  you 
give  Mr.  Eltinge  all  that  makes  the  picture  valuable 
to  him." 

Ida's  cheeks  began  to  burn,  for  the  artist's  words 
suggested  a  powerful  temptation  that,  in  accordance 
with  her  impetuous  nature,  came  in  the  form  of  an 
impulse  rather  than  an  insidious  and  lurking  thought. 
The  impulse  was  to  accept  of  the  opportunities  he 
pressed  upon  her,  and,  if  possible,  win  him  away 
from  Jennie  Burton.  At  first  it  seemed  a  mean  and 
dishonorable  thing  to  do,  and  her  face  grew  crimson 
with  shame  at  the  very  thought.  Van  Berg  looked 
at  her  with  surprise.  Conscious  himself  that  while  he 
meant  that  Mr.  Eltinge  should  profit  richly  from  her 
visits,  it  was  not  by  any  means  for  the  sake  of  the 
old  gentleman  only  that  he  had  been  requesting  her. 
to  come  so  often,  his  own  color  began  to  rise. 

"She  begins  to  see  that  my  motives  are  a  little 
mixed,  and  that  is  what  is  embarrassing  her,"  he 
thought,  as  he  bent  over  his  work  to  hide  his  own 
confusion. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I'm  getting  tired  of  sitting  still," 
Ida  exclaimed.  "  It's  contrary  to  my  restless  dispo- 


IDAS   TEMPTATION. 


525 


sition.  May  I  not  make  an  exploring  tour  around 
your  studio  ?  You  have  no  idea  what  a  constraint 
I've  been  putting  on  my  feminine  curiosity." 

"I  give  you  a  carte-blanche  to  do  as  you  please. 
Have  you  much  curiosity  ?  " 

"  I'm  a  daughter  of  Eve." 

"  Well,  I'm  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  there  is 
a  good  deal  of  '  old  Adam '  in  me,"  and  he  felt  that 
as  she  then  appeared  she  could  tempt  him  to  almost 
anything. 

Now  that  her  back  was  towards  him  she  felt  safer, 
and  her  mellow  laugh  trilled  out  as  she  said,  "  We 
may  have  to  dub  this  place  a  confessional  rather  than 
a  studio  if  you  talk  in  that  way." 

"  If  I  confessed  all  my  sins  against  you,  Miss  May- 
hew,  it  would,  indeed,  be  a  confessional."  He  spoke 
so  earnestly  that  she  gave  him  a  quick  glance  of  sur 
prise. 

"  There  is  no  need,"  she  said,  hesitatingly,  "since 
I  have  given  you  full  absolution,"  and  she  suddenly 
became  interested  in  something  in  the  farthest  corner 
of  the  apartment.  After  a  moment  she  added,  "  If 
I  am  to  come  here  I  must  say  to  you  again,  as  I  did 
on  the  day  I  so  disgusted  you  by  my  behavior  in  the 
stage — you  must  let  by-gones  be  by-gones." 

It  was  now  the  artist's  turn  to  laugh,  and  his  mer 
riment  was  so  hearty  and  prolonged  that  she  turned 
a  vexed  and  crimson  face  towards  him  and  said,  "  I 
think  it's  too  bad  in  you  to  laugh  at  me  so." 

"  Miss  Mayhew,  I  assure  you  I'm  not  laughing  at 
you  at  all.  But  your  words  suggest  a  good  omen. 
Don't  that  stage  teach  you  that  fate  means  us  to  be 


526  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

good  friends  in  spite  of  all  you  can  do  ?  Before  we 
met  in  that  car  of  fortune  I  had  been  trying  for  a 
week  or  more  to  make  your  acquaintance,  and  made 
a  martyr  of  myself  in  the  effort.  I  played  the  agree 
able  to  nearly  every  lady  in  the  hotel,  and  perspired 
on  picnics  and  boating  parties  that  I  did  not  enjoy. 
I  played  croquet  and  other  games  till  I  was  half 
bored  to  death,  and  all  in  the  effort  to  produce  such 
a  genial  atmosphere  of  enjoyment  and  good-feeling 
that  you  would  thaw  a  little  towards  me ;  but  you 
wouldn't  speak  to  me,  nor  even  look  at  me.  At  last 
I  gave  up  in  despair  and  went  off  among  the  hills  with 
my  sketch-book,  and  when  returning  that  blessed  old 
stage  overtook  me.  Wasn't  I  pleased  when  I  found 
you  were  a  fellow-passenger  !  and  let  me  now  express 
my  thanks  that  you  looked  so  resolutely  away  from 
me,  for  it  gave  me  a  chance  to  contrast  a  profile  in 
which  I  could  detect  no  fault  with  the  broad,  sultry 
visage  of  the  stout  woman  opposite  me.  And  then, 
thank  heaven,  the  horses  ran  away.  Whoever  heard 
of  stage  horses  running  away  before  ?  It  was  a  smile 
of  fortune — a  miracle.  Submit  to  destiny,  Miss  May- 
hew,  for  it's  decreed  that  we  shall  be  good  friends," 
and  he  laughed  again  in  huge  enjoyment  of  the  whole 
scene. 

In  spite  of  herself  Ida  found  his  humor  contagious 
and  irresistible,  and  she  laughed  also  till  the  tears 
came  into  her  eyes. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  ought  to  be 
indignant,  or  I  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  look  you  in 
the  face.  I  don't  know  what  I  ought  to  do,  only 
I'm  sure  it  isn't  the  proper  thing  at  all  for  me  to  be 


IDAS    TEMPTATION. 

laughing  in  this  way.  I  think  I'll  go  home  at  once, 
for  I'm  only  wasting  your  time." 

His  answer  was  not  very  relevant,  for  he  said  im 
petuously,  "  Oh,  Miss  Ida,  I  would  give  five  years  of 
my  life  to  be  able  to  paint  your  portrait  as  you  now 
appear,  for  the  picture  would  cure  old  melancholy 
himself  and  fill  a  prison-cell  with  light." 

"  I  won't  come  here  any  more  if  you  laugh  at  me 
so,"  she  said,  putting  on  her  hat. 

"  See,"  he  said,  "  I'm  as  grave  as  a  judge.  I  will 
never  laugh  at  you,  but  I  hope  to  laugh  with  you 
many  a  time,  for  to  tell  you  the  truth  the  experience 
has  reminded  me  of  the  '  inextinguishable  laughter 
of  the  Gods.'  Please  don't  go  yet." 

"  If  I  must  come  so  often  my  visits  must  be 
brief." 

"  Then  you  will  come  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  promised  anything  except  for  to-mor 
row.  Good-morning." 

"  Let  me  walk  home  with  you." 

"  No,  positively.  You  have  wasted  too  much  time 
already." 

"  You  will  at  least  shake  hands  in  token  of  peace 
and  amity  before  we  part  ?  " 

"  Oh,  certainly,  if  you  think  it  worth  the  while 
when  we  are  to  meet  so  soon  again.  Oh  !  you  hurt 
me.  You  did  that  once  before." 

His  face  suddenly  became  grave  and  even  tender 
in  its  expression,  as  he  said,  in  a  low,  deep  voice, 
"  More  than  once,  Miss  Ida.  Don't  think  I  forget  or 
forgive  myself  because  you  treat  me  so  generously." 

She  would  not  look  up  and  meet  his  eyes,  but  re- 


528  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

plied,  in  tones  that  trembled  with  repressed  feeling, 
"I  could  forgive  anything  after  your  manner  towards 
father  this  morning.  Never  think  I  can  forget  such 
favors,"  and  then  she  snatched  away  her  hand  and 
went  swiftly  out.  Her  tears  fell  fast  as  she  sought 
her  home  by  quiet  streets  with  bowed  head  and  vail 
drawn  tightly  down,  and  she  murmured  : 

"  I  cannot  give  him  up — I  cannot,  indeed,  I  cannot. 
If  I  lose  him  it  must  be  because  there  is  no  help 
for  it." 

Then  conscience  uttered  its  low,  faint  protest  and 
her  tears  fell  faster  still. 

When  reaching  her  room  she  threw  herself  on  the 
sofa  and  sobbed,  ' '  Would  it  be  so  very,  very  wrong  to 
win  him  if  I  could  ?  she  can't  love  him  as  much  as  I  do. 
Why,  I  was  ready  to  die  even  to  win  his  respect,  and 
now  in  these  visits  he  gives  me  a  chance  to  win  his 
love.  Is  he  pledged  to  Miss  Burton  yet  ?  If  he  is, 
I  do  not  know  it.  He  does  seem  to  care  for  me — 
there  is  often  something  in  his  face  and  tone  that 
whispers  hope.  If  he  loves  her  as  I  love  him  he 
could  not  be  here  in  New  York  all  this  week.  But 
it's  her  love  that  troubles  me — I've  seen  it  in  her  eyes 
when  he  was  not  observing,  and  I  fear  she  just  wor 
ships  him.  Alas,  he  gave  her  reason.  His  manner 
has  been  that  of  a  lover,  and  no  one — he  least  of  all — • 
would  think  of  flirting  with  Jennie  Burton.  But 
does  he  love  her  so  deeply  that  I  could  not  win  him 
if  I  had  a  chance  ?  Would  it  be  very  wicked  if  I  did  ? 
Must  I  give  up  my  happiness  for  her  happiness  ?  I 
came  to  New  York  to  get  away  from  danger  and 
temptation  and  here  I  am  right  in  the  midst  of  it. 


IDA'S    TEMPTATION.  529 

What  shall  I  do  !     Oh,  my  Saviour,  I'm  half  afraid  to 
speak  to  thee  about  this." 

"  If  I  could  only  see  Mr.  Eltinge,"  she  murmured, 
after  an  hour  of  distracted  thought  and  indecision. 
''There  is  no  time  to  write — indeed,  I  could  not  write 
on  such  a  subject,  and — and — I'm  afraid  he'd  advise 
me  against  it.  He  can't  understand  a  woman's  feel 
ings  in  a  case  like  this,  at  least  he  could  not  under 
stand  a  passionate,  faulty  girl  like  me.  I've  no 
patience — no  fortitude.  I  could  die  for  my  love — I 
think,  I  hope,  I  could  for  my  faith, — but  I  feel  no 
power  within  me  to  endure  patiently  year  after  year. 
I  would  be  like  the  poor,  weak  women  they  shut  up 
in  the  Inquisition  and  who  suffered  on  to  the  end  only 
through  remorseless  compulsion,  because  the  walls 
were  too  thick  for  escape,  and  the  tormentor's  hands 
and  the  rack  were  irresistible.  My  soul  would  suc 
cumb  as  well  as  my  body.  This  would  seem  wild, 
wicked  talk  to  Mr.  Eltinge  ;  it  would  seem  weak  and 
irrational  to  any  man.  But  I'm  only  Ida  Mayhew, 
and  such  is  my  nature.  I've  been  made  all  the  more 
incapable  of  patient  self-sacrifice  by  self-indulgence 
from  my  childhood  up.  Oh,  will  it  be  very,  very 
wrong  to  win  him  if  I  can  ?  "  and  the  passionate  tears 
and  sobs  that  followed  these  words  would  seem  to  in 
dicate  that  she  understood  her  nature  only  too  well. 

At  last  she  concluded,  in  weariness  and  exhaustion, 
"  I'm  too  weak  and  distracted  to  think  any  more.  I 
hardly  know  whether  it's  right  or  wrong.  I  hope  it 
isn't  very  wrong.  I  won't  decide  now.  Let  matters 
take  their  own  course  as  they  have  done  and  I  may 
see  clearer  by  and  by." 


530 


A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


But  deep  in  her  heart  she  felt  that  this  was  about 
the  same  as  yielding  to  the  temptation. 

She  bathed  her  eyes,  tried  to  think  how  she  could 
spend  the  intervening  hours  before  they  would  meet 
again.  Then  with  a  sense  of  dismay  she  began  to 
consider,  "  If  we  are  to  meet  so  often  what  are  we  to 
talk  about  ?  He  once  tried  to  converse  with  me  and 
found  me  so  ignorant  he  couldn't.  It  seemed  to  me 
I  didn't  know  anything  that  evening,  and  soon  he'll 
grow  disgusted  with  rne  again  as  he  sees  my  poor 
little  pack  of  knowledge  is  like  a  tramp's  bundle  that 
he  carries  around  with  him.  I  must  read — I  must 
study  every  moment,  or  I  haven't  the  remotest  chance 
of  success.  Success  !  Oh,  merciful  heaven  !  it's  the 
same  as  if  I  were  setting  about  it  all  deliberately  and 
there's  no  use  of  deceiving  myself.  I  hope  it  isn't 
very,  very  wrong." 

She  went  to  her  father's  library  with  flushed 
cheeks  and  hesitating  steps,  as  if  it  were  the  tree  from 
which  she  might  pluck  the  fruit  of  forbidden  knowl 
edge.  The  long  rows  of  ponderous  and  neglected 
books  appalled  her  ;  she  took  down  two  or  three  and 
they  seemed  like  unopened  mines,  deep  and  rocky. 
She  felt  instinctively  that  there  was  not  time  for  her 
to  transmute  their  ores  into  graceful  and  natural  men 
tal  adornments. 

"  Methuselah  himself  couldn't  read  them  all,"  she 
exclaimed.  "  By  the  powers  !  if  here  isn't  more  books 
than  I  can  carry,  on  one  subject.  I  suppose  cart 
loads  have  been  written  about  art.  I've  no  doubt 
he's  read  them  all,  but  I  never  can  ;  I  fear  my  at 
tempt  to  read  up  is  like  trying  to  get  strong  by  eating 


IDA'S   TEMPTATION.  53 1 

a  whole  ox  at  once.  Oh,  why  did  I  waste  my 
school-days,  and  indeed  all  my  life  as  I  have  !  " 
and  she  stamped  her  foot  in  her  impatience  and  irri 
tation. 

"Well,"  she  sighed  at  last,  with  a  grim  sort  of 
humor  ;  "  I  must  do  the  best  I  can.  It's  the  same  as 
if  I  were  on  a  desert  island.  I  must  tie  together  some 
sort  of  a  raft  in  order  to  cross  the  gulf  that  separates 
us,  for  I  never  can  stand  it  to  stay  here  alone.  Since  I 
have  no  time  to  spare  I  may  as  well  commence  with 
that  encyclopaedia,  and  learn  a  little  about  as  many 
things  as  possible  ;  then  if  he  introduces  a  subject  he 
shall  at  least  see  that  I  know  what  he  is  talking 
about."  And  during  the  afternoon  the  poor  girl 
plodded  through  several  articles,  often  recalling  her 
wandering  thoughts  by  impatient  little  gestures,  and 
by  the  time  her  father  returned  she  was  conscious  of 
knowing  a  very  little  indeed  about  a  number  of  things. 
"  No  matter,"  she  thought,  compressing  her  lips,  "  I 
won't  give  up  till  I  must.  It's  my  one  chance  for 
happiness  in  this  world,  and  I'll  cling  to  it  while  there 
is  a  shred  of  hope  left." 

It  was  with  an  eager  and  resolute  face  that  she  con 
fronted  her  father  that  evening,  as  they  sat  down  to 
dinner.  He  thought  she  would  descant  on  her  expe 
riences  of  the  morning,  and  he  was  anxious  for  a 
chance  to  say  how  truly  he  appreciated  Mr.  Van 
Berg's  cordial  manner,  but  she  surprised  him  by  ask 
ing  abruptly : 

"  Father,  when  do  we  elect  another  president  ?  " 

He  told  her,  and  then  followed  a  rapid  fire  of  ques 
tions  about  the  general  and  state  government,  and 


532  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

the  names  and  character  of  the  men  who  held  the 
chief  offices.  At  last  Mr.  Mayhew  laid  down  his 
knife  and  fork  in  his  astonishment,  and  asked  senten- 
tiously : 

"  How  long  is  it  since  you  decided  to  go  into  poli- 
tics  ?  " 

Ida's  laugh  was  very  reassuring,  and  she  said, 
"  Poor  father  !  I  don't  wonder  you  think  I've  lost  my 
wits,  now  that  I'm  trying  to  use  the  few  I  have. 
Don't  you  see  ?  I  don't  know  anything  that's  worth 
knowing.  I  wasted  my  time  at  school,  for  my  head  was 
full  of  beaux,  dress,  and  nonsense.  Besides,  I  don't 
think  my  teachers  took  much  pains  to  make  me  under 
stand  anything.  At  any  rate,  my  dancing-master,  and 
perhaps  my  music-teacher — a  little  bit — are  the  only 
ones  that  have  any  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  result. 
Now  I  want  you  to  brush  up  your  ideas  about  every 
thing,  so  you  can  answer  the  endless  questions  I  am 
going  to  ask  you." 

"  Why  bless  you,  child,  you  take  away  my  breath. 
Rome  wasn't  built  in  a  day." 

"  The  way  they  built  Rome  will  never  answer  for 
me.  I  must  grow  like  one  of  our  Western  cities  that 
has  a  mayor  and'  opera-house  almost  before  the 
Indians  and  wolves  are  driven  out  of  town.  Speak 
ing  of  Rome  reminds  me  how  little  I  know  of  that 
city,  and  it's  a  burning  shame,  too,  for  I  spent  a 
month  there." 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Mayhew,  with  kindling  interest, 
"suppose  we  take  up  a  course  of  reading  about 
Rome  for  the  winter." 

"For  the  winter!     That  won't  do  at  all.     Can't 


/DA'S   TEMPTATION.  533 

you  tell  me  something  of  interest  about  Rome  this 
evening  ?  " 

"  I've  already  mentioned  the  interesting  fact — that 
it  wasn't  built  in  a  day.  I  think  that's  the  most  im 
portant  thing  that  you  need  to  know  about  Rome 
and  everything  else  this  evening.  Why,  Ida,  you 
can't  become  wise  as  an  ostrich  makes  its  supper 
— by  swallowing  everything  that  comes  in  its  way. 
You  are  not  a  bit  like  an  ostrich." 

"  An  ostrich  is  a  silly  bird  that  puts  its  head  under 
the  sand  and  thinks  its  whole  great  body  hidden  be 
cause  it  can't  see  itself,  isn't  it,  father  ?  " 

"  I've  heard  that  story  told  of  it,"  replied  Mr. 
Mayhew,  laughing. 

''Anything  but  an  ostrich,  then.  Come,  I'll  read 
the  evening  paper  to  you  on  condition  you  tell  me 
the  leading  questions  of  the  day.  What  is  just  now 
the  leading  question  of  the  day  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Mayhew,  demurely,  but  with  a 
sparkle  of  humor  in  his  eye,  "  one  of  the  leading 
questions  of  this  day  with  me  has  been  whether  Mr. 
Van  Berg  would  not  enjoy  dining  with  us  to-morrow 
evening  now  that  he  is  here  alone  in  the  city  ?  " 

Ida  instantly  held  the  newspaper  before  her  crim 
son  face  and  said  : 

"  Father,  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  thus  to  divert 
my  mind  from  the  pursuit  of  useful  knowledge." 

Her  father  came  to  her  side  and  said  very  kindly : 
"  Ida,  darling,  you  are  a  little  bit  like  an  ostrich 
now." 

She  sprang  up,  and,  hiding  her  face  on  his  shoul 
der,  trembled  like  a  leaf.  "  Oh,  father,"  she  whis- 


534  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

pered,  "  I  would  not  have  him  know  for  the  world. 
Is  it  so  very  plain  ?  " 

"  Not  to  him,  my  child,  but  the  eyes  of  a  love  like 
mine  are  very  keen.  So  you  needn't  be  on  your 
guard  before  your  old  father  as  you  must  be  before 
him  and  the  world.  You  shall  have  only  rest  and 
sympathy  at  home  as  far  as  I  can  give  them.  In 
deed,  if  you  will  let  me,  I'll  become  a  very  unobtru 
sive,  but  perhaps,  useful  ally.  At  any  rate,  I'll  try 
not  to  make  any  stupid,  ignorant  blunders.  I  have 
liked  Mr.  Van  Berg  from  the  first  hour  of  our  meet 
ing,  and  I  would  thank  God  from  the  depths  of  my 
heart  if  this  could  be." 

"Dear,  good  father,  how  little  I  understood  you. 
I've  been  living  in  poverty  over  a  gold  mine.  Bui 
father,  I'm  so  ignorant  and  Mr.  Van  Berg  knows 
everything." 

"  Not  quite,  you'll  find.     He's  only  a  man,  Ida. 
But  you  can  never  win  him  through  politics  or  by- 
discussing  with  him  the  questions  of  the  day.     These 
are  not  in  your  line  nor  in  his." 

"  What  can  I  do,  father.  Indeed,  it  does  not 
seem  to  me  maidenly  to  do  anything." 

"  It  would  not  be  maidenly,  Ida,  to  step  one  hair's 
breadth  beyond  the  line  of  scrupulous,  womanly  deli 
cacy,  and  by  any  such  course  you  would  only  defeat 
and  thwart  yourself.  A  woman  must  always  be 
sought ;  and  as  a  rule,  she  loses  as  she  seeks.  But 
I'll  trust  to  your  instincts  to  guide  you  here.  You 
have  only  to  be  simple  and  true,  as  you  have  been 
since  the  happy  miracle  that  transformed  you.  Un 
less  a  man  is  infatuated  as  I — but  no  matter.  A  man 


IDAS   TEMPTATION.  535 

that  keeps  his  senses  welcomes  truthfulness — a  high, 
delicate  sense  of  honor — above  all  things  in  a  woman, 
for  it  gives  him  a  sense  of  security  and  rest.  By 
truthfulness  I  do  not  mean  the  indiscreet  blurting  out 
of  things  that  good  taste  would  leave  unsaid,  but 
clear-eyed  integrity  that  hides  no  guile.  Then, 
again,  unless  a  man  is  blinded  by  passion  or  some 
kind  of  infatuation  he  knows  that  the  chief  need  of 
his  life  is  a  home  lighted  and  warmed  by  an  unwaver 
ing  love.  With  these  his  happiness  and  success  are 
secured,  as  far  as  they  can  be  in  this  world,  unless  he 
is  a  brute  and  a  fool,  and  has  no  right  to  exist  at  all. 
But  I  am  growing  preachy.  Let  me  suggest  some 
things  that  I  have  observed  in  this  artist.  He  is  a 
high-toned  pagan  and  worships  beauty  ;  but  with 
this  outward  perfection  he  also  demands  spiritual 
loveliness,  for  with  him  mind  and  honor  are  in  the 
ascendant.  He  admired  you  immensely  from  the 
first,  and  since  your  character  has  been  growing  in 
harmony  with  your  face  he  has  sought  your  society. 
So,  be  simple,  true,  and  modest,  and  you  will  win 
him  if  the  thing  is  possible.  You  will  never  win  him 
by  being  anything  else,  and  you  might  lose  your  own 
and  his  respect." 

"  I'll  suffer  anything  rather  than  that,  father.  I 
think  you  had  better  not  invite  him  to-morrow  even- 
ing." 

'Til  be  governed  by  what  I  see  to-morrow,"  he 
replied,  musingly.  "  Both  my  business  and  my  habit 
of  mind  have  taught  me  to  observe  and  study  men's 
motives  and  impulses  very  closely.  You  could  order  a 
suitable  dinner  after  leaving  the  studio,  could  you  not? ' ' 


536  'A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Yes,  father." 

"  Well,  then,  my  Princess  Ida,  I'll  be  your  grand 
vizier,  and  I'll  treat  with  this  foreign  power  with  such 
a  fine  diplomacy  that  he  shall  appreciate  all  the  privi 
leges  he  obtains.  But  we  will  keep  our  self-respect 
hereafter,  Ida,  and  then  we  can  look  the  world  in  the 
face  and  ask  no  odds  of  it." 

4<  Yes,  father,  let  us  keep  that  at  all  events.  And 
yet  I'm  only  a  woman." 

"  You  are  the  woman  that  has  made  me  happy, 
and  I  think  there  is  another  man  who  will  want  to  be 
made  happy  also.  And  now  we  will  defer  all  other 
questions  of  the  day,  for  I  must  go  out  for  a  time. 
Do  not  think  I  undervalue  your  craving  for  informa 
tion,  and  you  shall  have  it  as  fast  as  you  can  take 
care  of  it.  You  have  grown  pale  and  thin  this  surru 
mer,  but  I  do  not  expect  you  to  become  plump  and 
rosy  again  in  a  day." 

"  Oh,  I'm  rosy  too  often  as  it  is.  Why  is  it  that 
girls  must  blush  so  ridiculously  when  they  don't 
want  to  ?  That's  the  question  of  the  day  for  me. 
I  could  flirt  desperately  in  old  times,  and  yet  look 
as  demure  and  cool  as  if  I  were  an  innocent.  But 
now,  oh  !  I'm  fairly  enraged  with  myself  at  times." 

"  They  say  blushes  are  love's  trail,"  said  Mr.  May- 
hew  with  a  laugh,  "  and  since  he  is  around  I  suppose 
he  must  leave  his  tracks.  If  you  wish  for  a  more 
scientific  reason  let  me  add  that  physiology  teaches 
us  that  the  blood  comes  from  the  hear...  I  can  as 
sure  you,  however,  that  there  are  but  few  gentlemen 
who  admire  ladies  that  cannot  blush,  and  Mr.  Van 
Berg  is  not  one  of  them." 


IDA'S   TEMPTATION. 


537 


Ida  spent  the  evening  at  her  piano  instead  of  over 
the  encyclopaedia,  but  she  sighed  again  and  again. 

"  Simple  and  true  !  I  fear  Jennie  Burton  and  Mr. 
Eltinge  would  say  I  was  neither  if  they  knew  what 
was  in  my  heart.  But  I  can't  help  it — I  can't  give 
him  up  after  what  has  happened  since  I  came  to  the 
city,  unless  I  must." 

But  the  music  she  selected  was  simple  and  true. 
Tossing  her  brilliant  and  florid  pieces  impatiently 
aside,  she  played  or  sang  only  that  which  was  plain 
tive,  low,  and  in  harmony  with  her  thoughts.  It  also 
seemed  to  have  a  peculiar  attractiveness  to  a  tall  gen 
tleman  who  lingered  some  moments  beneath  the 
windows,  and  even  took  one  or  two  steps  up  towards 
the  door,  and  then  turned  and  strode  away  as  if  con 
scious  that  he  must  either  enter  or  depart  at  once. 

23* 


538  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

THE   BLIND    GOD. 

THE  Miss  Mayhew  that  crossed  the  artist's  thresh 
old  the  following  morning  might  have  been 
taken  as  a  model  of  graceful  self-possession,  but  she 
disguised  a  maiden-with  as  fluttering  a  heart  and  trem 
bling  a  soul  as  ever  faced  one  of  the  supreme  moments 
of  destiny.  Her  father,  however,  proved  a  faithful 
and  intelligent  ally,  and  his  manner  towards  Van  Berg 
was  a  fine  blending  of  courtesy  and  dignity,  suggest 
ing  a  man  as  capable  of  conferring  as  of  receiving 
favors.  His  host  would  indeed  have  been  blind  and 
stupid  if  he  had  tried  to  patronize  Mr.  Mayhew  that 
morning. 

Although  unconscious  of  the  fact,  Van  Berg  was 
for  a  time  subjected  to  the  closest  scrutiny.  Love 
had  deep  if  not  dark  designs  against  him,  and  the 
glances  he  bent  on  Ida  might  suggest  that  he  was 
only  too  ready  to  become  a  victim.  He  had  wel 
comed  to  his  studio  two  conspirators  who  were  com 
mitted  to  their  plot  by  the  strongest  of  motives,  and 
yet  they  were  such  novel  conspirators  that  a  word,  a 
glance,  an  expression  even  of  ennui  or  indifference 
would  have  so  touched  their  pride  that  they  would 
have  abandoned  their  wiles  at  every  cost  to  them- 


THE   BLIND    GOD. 

selves.  Were  they  trying  to  ensnare  him  ?  Never 
were  such  films  and  gossamer  threads  used  in  like 
entanglement  before.  He  could  have  brushed  them 
all  away  by  one  cold  sweep  of  his  eyes,  and  the 
maiden  who  had  not  scrupled  at  death  to  gain  mere 
ly  his  respect,  would  have  left  the  studio  with  a  colder 
glance  than  his,  nor  would  her  womanly  strength 
have  failed  her  until  she  reached  a  refuge  which  his 
eye  could  not  penetrate  ;  but  then — God  pity  her. 
The  tragedies  over  which  the  angels  weep  are  the 
bloodless  wounds  of  the  spirit. 

But  it  would  seem  that  the  atmosphere  of  Van 
Berg's  studio  that  summer  morning  was  not  at  all 
conducive  to  tragedy  of  any  kind,  nor  were  there  in 
his  face  or  manner  any  indications  of  comedy,  which 
to  poor  Ida  would  have  been  far  worse ;  for  an  air  of 
careless  bonhomie  on  his  part  when  she  was  so  des 
perately  in  earnest  would  have  made  his  smiles  and 
jests  like  heartless  mockery. 

And  yet,  in  spite  of  his  manner  the  previous  day, 
the  poor  girl  had  come  to  the  studio  fearing  far  more 
than  she  hoped,  and  burdened  also  with  a  troubled 
conscience.  She  was  almost  sure  she  was  not  doing 
right,  and  yet  the  temptation  was  too  strong  to  be  re 
sisted.  But  when  he  took  her  hand  in  greeting  that 
morning,  and  said  with  a  smile  that  seemed  to  flash 
out  from  the  depths  of  his  soul,  "  I  won't  hurt  you 
any  more  if  I  can  help  it,"  all  scruples,  all  hesitancy 
vanished  for  a  time,  like  frostwork  in  the  sun.  His 
magnetism  was  irresistible,  and  she  felt  that  it  would 
require  all  her  tact  and  resolution  to  keep  him  by 
some  careless,  random  word  or  act,  from  brushing 


540  A  FACE   ILLUMINED. 

aside  the  veil  behind  which  shrank  her  trembling, 
and  as  yet,  unsought  love. 

But  Van  Berg  was  even  a  rarer  study  than  the 
maiden,  and  his  manner  towards  both  Ida  and  her 
father  might  well  lead  one  to  think  that  he  was 
inclined  to  become  the  chief  conspirator  in  the  design 
against  himself.  He  had  scarcely  been  conscious  of 
time  or  place  since  parting  the  previous  day  with  the 
friend  he  was  so  bent  on  securing,  and  when  at  last 
he  slept  in  the  small  hours  of  the  morning  he  dreamt 
that  he  had  been  caught  by  a  mighty  tidal  wave  that 
was  bearing  him  swiftly  towards  heaven  on  its  silver 
crest.  When  he  awoke,  the  wave,  so  far  from  being 
a  bubble,  seemed  a  grand  spiritual  reality,  and  he 
felt  as  if  he  had  already  reached  a  seventh  heaven  of 
vague,  undefined  exhilaration.  Never  before  had 
life  appeared  so  rich  a  possession  and  so  full  of 
glorious  possibilities.  Never  in  the  past  had  he  "felt 
his  profession  to  be  so  noble  and  worthy  of  his  devo 
tion,  and  never  had  the  fame  he  hoped  to  grasp  by 
means  of  it  seemed  so  near.  Beauty  became  to  him 
so  infinitely  beautiful  and  divine  that  he  felt  he 
could  worship  it  were  it  only  embodied,  and  then 
with  a  strange  and  exquisite  thrill  of  exultation  he 
exclaimed  :  a  Right  or  wrong,  to  my  eye  it  is  em 
bodied  in  Ida  Mayhew,  and  she  will  fill  my  studio 
with  light  again  to-day  and  many  days  to  come.  If 
ever  an  artist  was  fortunate  in  securing  as  a  friend, 
as  an  inspiration,  a  perfect  and  budding  flower  of 
personal  and  spiritual  loveliness,  I  am  that  happy 
man." 

The  Van  Berg  of  other  days  would  have  called  the 


THE  BLIND    GOD.  54! 

Van  Berg  that  waited  impatiently  for  his  guests  that 
morning  a  rhapsodical  fool,  and  the  greater  part  of 
the  world  would  offer  no  dissent.  The  world  is  very 
prone  to  call  every  man  who  is  possessed  by  a  little 
earnestness  or  enthusiasm  a  fool,  but  it  is  usually  an 
open  question  which  is  the  more  foolish — the  world 
or  the  man  ;  and  perhaps  we  shall  all  learn  some  day 
that  there  was  more  of  sanity  in  our  rhapsodies  than 
in  the  shrewd  calculations  that  verged  towards  mean 
ness.  Be  this  as  it  may  in  the  abstract,  Van  Berg  re 
garded  himself  as  the  most  rational  man  in  the  city 
that  morning.  He  did  not  try  to  account  for  his 
mental  state  by  musty  and  proverbial  wisdom  or 
long-established  principles  of  psychology.  The  glad, 
strong  consciousness  of  his  own  soul  satisfied  him 
and  made  everything  appear  natural.  Since  he  had 
this  strong  and  growing  friendship  for  this  maiden, 
who  was  evidently  pleased  to  come  again  to  his 
studio,  though  so  coy  and  shy  in  admitting  it,  why 
should  he  not  have  it  ?  There  was  nothing  in 
his  creed  against  such  a  friendship,  and  everything 
for  it.  Men  of  talent,  not  to  mention  genius,  had 
ever  sought  inspiration  from  those  most  capable  of 
imparting  it,  and  this  girl's  beauty  and  character 
were  kindling  his  mind  to  that  extent  that  he  began 
to  hope  he  could  now  do  some  of  the  finest  work  of 
his  life.  The  fact  that  he  felt  towards  her  the  strong 
est  friendly  regard  was  in  itself  enough,  and  Van 
Berg  was  too  good  a  modern  thinker  to  dispute  with 
facts,  especially  agreeable  ones. 

The  practical  outcome  of  the  friendship  which  he 
lost  no  chance  of  manifesting  that  morning,  was  that 


542 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


Mr.  Mayhew,  in  an  easy,  informal  manner,  extended 
his  invitation,  and  the  artist  accepted  in  a  way  that 
proved  he  was  constrained  by  something  more  than 
courtesy  or  a  sense  of  duty,  and  Conspirator  Num 
ber  Two  walked  down  Broadway  muttering  (as  do  all 
conspirators):  "  Those  young  people  are  liable  to 
stumble  into  paradise  at  any  moment." 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  get  through  a  hot 
August  day  in  town  after  you  were  released  from 
durance  here?"  asked  Van  Berg. 

"  I  do  not  know  that  it  required  any  special  man 
agement,"  replied  Ida,  demurely.  "  I  suppose  you 
took  a  nap  after  your  severe  labors  of  the  morn 
ing." 

"  Now  you  are  satirical.  My  labor  was  all  in  the 
afternoon,  for  I  worked  from  the  time  you  left  me 
till  dusk." 

"  Didn't  you  stop  for  lunch  or  dinner  ?  "  exclaimed 
Ida,  with  surprise. 

"Not  a  moment." 

"  Why,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  what  was  the  matter  with 
you  ?  It  will  never  do  for  me  to  come  here  and 
waste  your  forenoons  if  you  try  to  make  up  so  un 
mercifully  after  I'm  gone." 

"  You  were  indeed  altogether  to  blame.  Some 
things,  like  fine  music  or  a  great  painting  or — it 
happened  to  be  yourself  yesterday — often  cause  what 
I  call  my  working  moods,  when  I  feel  able  to  do  the 
best  things  of  which  I'm  capable.  Not  that  they  are 
wonderful  or  ever  will  be — they  are  simply  my  best 
efforts — and  I  assure  you  I'm  not  foolish  enough  to 
waste  such  moments  in  the  prosaic  task  of  eating." 


THE  BLIND    GOD. 


543 


"  I'm  only  a  matter-of-fact  person.  Plain  food  at 
regular  intervals  is  very  essential  to  me." 

He  looked  up  at  her  quickly  and  said  :  "  Now  you 
are  mentally  laughing  at  me  again.  I  assure  you 
I  ate  like  an  ostrich  after  my  work  was  over.  I  even 
upset  the  dignity  of  an  urbane  Delmonico  waiter." 

Ida  bit  her  lip  as  she  recalled  certain  resemblances 
on  her  own  part  to  that  suggestive  bird,  but  she  said 
sympathetically:  "  It  must  be  rather  stupid  to  dine 
alone  at  a  restaurant." 

"  I  found  it  insufferably  stupid,  and  I'm  more  grate 
ful  to  your  father  for  his  invitation  than  you  would 
believe." 

Ida  could  scarcely  disguise  her  pleasure,  and  with 
mirthful  eyes  she  said  : 

"  Really,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  you  place  me  in  quite  a 
dilemma.  I  find  that  in  one  mood  you  do  not  wish 
to  eat  at  all,  and  again  you  say  you  have  the  rather 
peculiar  appetite  of  the  bird  you  named.  Now  I'm 
housekeeper  at  present,  and  scarcely  know  how  to 
provide.  What  kind  of  viands  are  best  adapted  to 
artists  and  poets,  and " 

"  And  idiots  in  general,  you  might  conclude,"  said 
Van  Berg,  laughing.  "  After  sitting  so  near  me  at  the 
table  all  summer  you  must  have  noticed  that  nothing 
but  ambrosia  and  nectar  will  serve  my  purpose." 

Ida's  laughing  eyes  suddenly  became  deep  and 
dreamy  as  she  said  :  "  That  time  seems  ages  ago.  I 
cannot  realize  that  we  are  the  same  people  that  met 
so  often  in  Mr.  Burleigh's  dining-room,  and  in  cir 
cumstances  that  to  me  were  often  so  very  dismal." 

"  Please  remember  that  I  am  not  the  same  person. 


544  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

I  will  esteem  it  a  great  favor  if  you  will  leave  the 
man  you  saw  at  that  time  in  the  limbo  of  the  past — 
the  farther  off  the  better." 

"  You  were  rather  distant  then,"  Ida  remarked 
with  a  piquant  smile. 

"  But  am  I  now?     Answer  me  that,"  he  said  so* 
eagerly  that  she  was  again  mentally  enraged  at  her 
tell-tale  color,  and  she  said  hastily:  "  But  where  am  I 
to  find  the  ambrosia  and  nectar  that  you  will  expect 
this  evening  ?  " 

"  Any  market  can  furnish  the  crude  materials.  It 
is  the  touch  of  the  hostess  that  transmutes  them." 

"  Alas,"  said  Ida,  "  I  never  learned  how  to  cook. 
If  I  should  prepare  your  dinner,  you  would  have  an 
awful  mood  to-morrow,  and  probably  send  for  the 
doctor." 

"  I  would  need  a  nurse  more  than  a  doctor." 

"  I  know  of  an  ancient  woman — a  perfect  Mrs.  Har 
ris,"  said  Ida,  gleefully. 

"  Wouldn't  you  come  and  see  me  if  I  were  very 
ill?" 

"  I  might  call  at  the  door  and  ask  how  you  were," 
she  replied,  hesitatingly. 

"  Now,  Miss  Ida,  the  undertaker  would  do  as  much 
as  that." 

"  Our  motives  might  differ  just  a  little,"  she  said, 
dropping  her  eyes. 

"  Well,"  said  the  artist,  laughing,  "  if  you  will  pre 
pare  the  dinner,  I'll  risk  undertaker,  ancient  woman, 
and  all,  rather  than  spend  such  another  long  stupid 
evening  as  I  did  last  night.  I  expected  to  meet  you 
at  the  concert  garden  again." 


THE  BLIND   GOD.  545 

"  That's  strange,"  she  said. 

"  I  should  say  rather  that  I  hoped  to  meet  you  and 
your  father  there.  Would  you  have  gone  if  I  had 
asked  you  ?  " 

"  I  might." 

"  I'll  set  that  down  as  one  of  the  lost  opportunities    : 
of  life." 

"  Why  didn't  you  listen  to  the  music  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  didn't.  I  thought  I'd  inflict  my  stupidity 
on  you  for  awhile,  and  came  as  far  as  your  door 
steps  before  I  remembered  that  I  had  not  been  in 
vited  ;  so  you  see  what  a  narrow  escape  you  had." 

In  spite  of  herself  Ida  could  not  help  appearing  dis 
appointed  as  she  said,  a  little  reproachfully,  "  Would 
a  friend  have  waited  for  a  formal  invitation  ?  " 

"  A  friend  did,"  replied  Van  Berg,  regretfully; 
"  but  he  won't  again." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that ;  my  music  must  have 
frightened  you  away." 

(( I  listened  until  I  feared  the  police  might  think  I 
had  designs  against  the  house.  I  didn't  know  you 
were  a  musician.  Miss  Mayhew,  I'm  always  finding 
out  something  new  about  you,  and  I'm  going  to  ask 
you  this  evening  to  sing  again  for  me  a  ballad,  the 
melody  of  which  reminded  me  of  a  running  brook. 
It  took  a  hold  on  my  fancy  and  has  been  running  in  • 
my  head  ever  since." 

"Oh.  you  won't  like  that;  it's  a  silly,  sentimen 
tal  little  thing.  I  don't  wonder  you  paused  and  re 
treated." 

"  Spare  me,  Miss  Ida ;  I  already  feel  that  it  was  a 
faint-hearted  retreat,  in  which  I  suffered  serious  loss. 


546  A  FACE  ILLUMINED 

I  have  accounted  for  myself  since  we  parted  ;  how 
did  you  spend  the  time  ?  Of  course  you  yawned  over 
your  morning's  fatigue,  and  took  a  long  nap." 

"  Indeed  I  did  not  sleep  a  wink.  Why  should  I 
be  any  more  indolent  than  yourself?  I  read  most  of 
the  afternoon,  and  drummed  on  the  piano  in  the 
evening." 

"  I  know  that  I  like  your  drumming,  but  am  not  yet 
sure  about  your  author  ;  but  he  must  be  an  exceed 
ingly  interesting  one,  to  hold  your  attention  a  long 
hot  afternoon." 

Ida  colored  in  sudden  embarrassment,  but  said,  after 
a  moment  :  "  I  shall  not  gratify  your  curiosity  any 
further,  for  you  would  laugh  at  me  again  if  I  told 
you." 

"Now,  indeed,  you  have  piqued  my  curiosity.'* 

"  Since  you,  a  man,  admit  having  so  much  of  this 
feminine  weakness,  I  who  am  only  a  woman  may  be 
pardoned  for  showing  just  a  little.  What  work  was 
it  that  so  absorbed  you  yesterday  afternoon  that  you 
ceased  to  be  human  in  your  needs  ?" 

"Miss  Mayhew,  you  have  been  laughing  at  me  in 
your  sleeve  ever  since  you  came  this  morning.  I 
shall  take  my  revenge  on  you  at  once  by  heaping 
coals  of  fire  on  your  head,"  and  he  turned  towards  her 
a  large  picture,  all  of  which  was  yet  in  outline,  save 
Mr.  Eltinge's  bust  and  face. 

Ida  sprang  down  on  her  knees  before  it,  exclaim 
ing  :  "  O  !  my  dear,  kind  old  friend  !  He's  just 
speaking  to  me.  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I'll  now  maintain 
you  are  a  genius  against  all  the  world.  You  have 
put  kindness,  love,  fatherhood  into  this  face.  You 


THE   BLIND    GOD. 


547 


made  it  strong  and  noble,  and  yet  tender  and 
gentle  as  the  man  himself.  I  never  knew  it  was  pos 
sible  for  a  portrait  to  express  so  much,"  and  tears  of 
strong,  grateful  feeling  filled  her  eyes. 

Was  it  success  in  his  art  or  praise  from  her  lips  that 
gave  her  listener  such  an  exquisite  thrill  of  pleasure  ? 
He  did  not  stop  to  consider,  for  he  was  not  in  an  ana 
lytical  mood  at  that  time.  He  was  on  the  crest  of  the 
spiritual  wave  that  was  sweeping  him  heavenward,  or 
towards  some  beatific  state  of  which  he  had  not 
dreamt  before.  His  face  glowed  with  pleasure  as  he 
said  : 

"  Since  it  pleases  you,  it's  no  more  than  justice  that 
you  should  know  that  your  visit  was  the  cause  of  my 
success.  Either  your  laugh  or  your  kind  parting 
words  brushed  the  cobwebs  from  my  mind,  and  I  was 
able  to  do  better  work  in  a  few  hours  than  I  might 
have  accomplished  in  weeks." 

She  tried  to  look  at  the  picture  more  closely,  but 
fast-coming  tears  blinded  her.  Then  she  rose,  and 
averting  her  face  hastily,  wiped  her  eyes,  as  she  said 
in  a  low  tone  :  "  I  can't  understand  it  at  all,  and  the 
memory  of  Mr.  Eltinge's  kindness  always  overcomes 
me.  Please  pardon  my  weakness.  There,  I  won't 
waste  any  more  of  your  time,"  and  she  returned  to 
her  chair.  But  her  face  still  wore  the  uncertainty  of 
an  April  day. 

a  Your  affection  for  Mr.  Eltinge,"  he  said  gently, 
"  is  as  beautiful  as  it  is  natural.  No  manifestation  of 
it  needs  any  apology,  and  least  of  all  to  me,  for  I  owe 
to  him  far  more  than  life.  But  I  am  paining  you  by 
recalling  the  past,"  he  said  regretfully,  as  Ida's  tears 


548  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

began  to  gather  again.  "  Let  me  try  to  make  amends 
by  returning  at  once  to  the  present  and  to  my  work. 
Before  I  go  on  any  farther  with  your  portrait  I  want 
you  to  put  this  rose-bud  in  your  hair,"  and  from  a 
hidden  nook  he  brought  a  little  vase  containing 
only  one  exquisite  bud.  Ida  had  barely  time  to  see 
that  it  was  in  color  and  size  precisely  like  the  emblem 
of  herself  that  he  had  thrown  away,  and  for  a  few 
moments  she  utterly  lost  her  self-control.  She  buried 
her  face  in  her  hands,  and  her  low,  stifled  sobs  filled 
Van  Berg  with  the  keenest  distress  and  perplexity. 

"  Miss  Ida,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  I  would  rather 
every  tear  you  are  shedding  were  a  drop  of  my 
blood,"  but  his  words  only  made  them  flow  faster 
still. 

Suddenly  she  sprang  up,  and  turning  her  back  upon 
him,  dashed  away  her  tears  almost  fiercely.  "  Oh  ! 
this  is  shameful !  "  she  exclaimed,  in  low,  indignant 
tones.  "  Mr.  Van  Berg,  what  must  you  think  of 
me  ?  Please  turn  Mr.  Eltinge's  face  away,  for  he  is 
looking  at  me  just  as  he  did  when  my  heart  was 
breaking,  and — and — I've  lost  my  self-control,  and  I 
had  better  not  come  here  till  I  can  cease  being  so 
weak  and  foolish." 

"Is  it  weak  to  be  grateful?"  he  asked,  gently. 
'  Is  it  foolish  to  love  one  so  thoroughly  entitled  to 
your  love  ?  I  honor  you  for  your  deep  and  tender 
affection  for  Mr.  Eltinge,  and  every  tear  you  have 
shed  proves  to  me  that  in  this  perfect  flower  I  am 
now  finding  the  true  emblem  of  yourself." 

"No,"  she  said,  almost  passionately,  "  I  have  no 
right  to  it.  The  other  one  that  you  threw  away  is 


THE  BLIND    GOD, 

true  of  me,  and  always  will  be.  This  but  mocks  me 
with  its  perfection.  I  would  be  a  hypocrite  if  I  should 
put  it  in  my  hair,  and  smile  complacently  while  you 
painted  it.  My  heart  clings  to  the  other  emblem, 
and  I  know  I  must  develop  as  best  I  can,  as  that 
would  have  done  after  its  destroyer  was  taken  away. 
No,  Mr.  Van  Berg.  I  have  seen  myself  in  the  strong, 
sharp  light  of  truth.  If  you  are  willing  to  be  my 
friend,  please  be  an  honest  one.  My  faithful  old 
friend  in  the  country  would  scarcely  take  my  por 
trait  if  this  perfect  flower  were  introduced  with  any 
such  meaning  as  you  attach  to  it,  and  I  certainly 
would  be  ashamed  to  give  it  to  him.  Mr.  Van  Berg, 
we  must  let  bygones  be  bygones,  or  we  never  can  get 
on.  See  how  absurdly  I  have  acted  both  yesterday 
and  to-day,  and  all  through  recalling  the  past.  In 
deed,  indeed,  it  will  never  do  for  me  to  come  here 
again,  and  if  you  can  make  such  a  marvellous  like 
ness  of  Mr.  Eltinge  as  you  have,  I  scarcely  think 
there  will  be  any  need." 

"My  success  with  Mr.  Eltinge's  portrait  is  the 
result  of  a  few  happy  strokes  that  I  might  not  be  able 
to  give  again  if  I  tried  a  year.  Believe  me,  Miss 
Mayhew,  I  not  only  wish  to  be  an  honest  friend,  but 
,a  very  considerate  one.  I  promise  never  to  urge  you 
to  do  anything  that  will  cause  you  pain.  I  can 
understand  how  the  features  of  your  kind  friend  have 
touched  the  tenderest  chords  of  your  heart,  and  I 
respect  your  sturdy  fidelity  to  your  conscience  in 
refusing  to  let  me  paint  this  bud  in  your  hair ;  but 
you  must  also  do  me  the  justice  to  believe  that  I 
meant  no  hollow  compliment  when  I  searched  for  it 


550  *   FACE    ILLUMINED. 

among  the  florists.  Must  I  throw  this  one  away, 
too  ?  "  he  asked,  with  a  glance  that  was  very  ardent 
for  a  friend  ;  "  for  since  I  obtained  it  for  you,  it  must 
receive  its  fate  at  your  hands  only." 

"  I'll  wear  it,  simply  as  your  gift,  with  pleasure," 
and  she  fastened  it  in  her  breastpin,  so  that  its  crim 
son  blush  rested  against  the  snowy  whiteness  of  her 
neck. 

He  looked  her  full  in  the  eyes  as  he  said,  earn 
estly,  "It  is  still  the  emblem  of  one  thing,  and  you 
cannot  help  it — of  my  respect  for  you." 

Her  eyes  fell  guiltily,  and  the  color  deepened  in 
her  face  as  she  turned  hastily  away,  and  said,  with 
low,  sad  emphasis:  "  I  do  not  deserve  such  respect." 
Then  the  knowledge  that  she  was  harboring  a  purpose 
which  troubled  her  conscience,  but  which  she  could 
not  abandon,  became  the  cause  of  a  trace  of  her  old 
recklessness  of  manner.  She  assumed  a  sudden  gay- 
ety,  as  if  she  had  stepped  out  of  shadows  into  too 
strong  a  light,  as  she  said  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  you  may  well  hesitate  to  bring 
the  appetite  you  say  you  had  last  night  to  our  house 
this  evening,  and  if  I  stay  a  moment  longer,  you  will 
get  no  dinner  at  all.  I  have  not  been  after  the  crude 
material — as  you  call  it — yet,  and  I'm  told  that  there 
is  not  a  man  living  so  amiable  or  philosophical,  but 
that  a  poor  dinner  provokes  a  martyr-like  expression, 
if  nothing  worse  ;  "  and  with  a  smile  and  piquancy  of 
manner  that  seemed  peculiarly  brilliant  against  the 
background  of  her  deep  and  repressed  feeling,  she 
again  left  him. 

He  tried  to  return  to  his  work,  but  found  himself 


THE  BLIND    GOD.  ^ 

once  more  possessed  by  the  demon  of  unrest  and 
impatience.  The  spiritual  wave  that  had  been  lifting 
him  higher  and  higher  was  changing  its  character 
and  becoming  a  smoothly  gliding  current.  It  was 
so  irresistible  that  he  never  thought  of  resisting. 
Why  should  he  resist  ?  he  asked  himself.  Circum 
stances  had  interested  him  in  this  rare  Undine  before 
she  received  a  woman's  soul  ;  circumstances  had  en> 
tangled  his  life  and  hers  in  what  had  almost  been  an 
awful  tragedy  ;  and  now  circumstances,  or  something 
far  beyond,  were  swiftly  developing  before  his  eyes  a 
spiritual  loveliness  that  was  the  counterpart  of  her  out 
ward  beauty,  and  he  assured  himself  that  it  would  be 
the  greatest  folly  of  his  life  to  lose  a  trace  of  the  ex 
quisite  process  that  he  might  be  privileged  to  see. 
What  artist  or  poet  has  not  pictured  to  himself  the 
fair  face  of  Eve  as  God  first  breathed  into  her  perfect 
clay  the  breath  of  life,  or  has  not,  in  imagination, 
seen  the  closed  eyes  opening  in  surprise  and  intelli 
gence  or  kindling  with  the  light  of  love  ?  And  yet 
the  change  in  Ida  Mayhew  seemed  to  Van  Berg  far 
more  wonderful  and  interesting  ;  and  to  his  fancy  if, 
instead  of  lying  in  the  beauty  of  her  breathless, 
statuesque  preparation  for  life,  Eve  had  been  pos 
sessed  by  a  legion  of  distorting  imps,  she  would  have 
been  the  type  of  the  maiden  he  first  had  recognized. 
But  he  had  seen  these  evil  spirits  exorcised,  and  in 
their  place  was  coming  a  noble,  womanly  soul — sweet, 
tender,  and  strong — and  the  perfect  form  and  features 
seemed  but  a  transparent  mould,  a  crystal  vase  into 
which  heaven  was  pouring  a  new  and  divine  life. 
Why  should  he  not  long  to  escape  from  the  dusty 


552  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

matter-of-fact  world  and  witness  this  spiritual  repeti 
tion  of  the  most  beautiful  story  of  the  past  ?  Thus 
his  philosophical  mind  was  able  once  more  to  reason 
the  whole  matter  out  clearly  and  prove  that  his  wish 
to  annihilate  the  intervening  hours  before  he  could 
dare  to  present  himself  to  Ida  Mayhew,  was  the 
most  natural  and  proper  desire  imaginable.  He  con 
cluded  that  a  walk  through  Central  Park  might  banish 
his  disquietude,  and  leave  time  for  a  careful  toilet, 
since  for  some  occult  reason  the  occasion  seemed  to 
him  to  require  unusual  preparation. 

He  knew  he  was  unfashionably  early  when  he  rang 
Mr.  Mayhew's  door-bell,  but  he  had  found  it  impossi 
ble  to  curb  his  impatience  to  see  in  what  new  aspect 
Ida  would  present  herself  that  evening.  A  hundred 
times  he  had  queried  how  she  would  appear  in  her 
own  home,  how  she  would  preside  as  hostess,  and 
whether  the  taste  of  the  florid  and  fashionable  mother 
would  not  be  so  apparent  as  to  annoy  him  like  a  bad 
tone  in  the  picture.  Yes,  that  was  Mrs.  Mayhew's 
parlor  into  which  lie  was  shown.  It  did  not  suggest 
the  maiden  he  had  come  to  visit,  nor  the  quiet,  dig 
nified  gentleman  Mr.  Mayhew  was  seen  to  be  when 
at  the  touch  of  love's  wand  a  degrading  vice  fell 
away  from  him.  But  the  artist  could  find  no  fault 
with  the  host  who  greeted  him  promptly,  and  when,*" 
a  few  moments  later,  there  was  a  breezy  rustle  on 
the  stairs  and  he  turned  to  greet  his  hostess,  his  face 
flushed  with  admiration  and  pleasure.  It  became 
evident  that  the  worshipper  of  beauty  was  in  the  pres 
ence  of  his  divinity,  and  his  every  glance  burned 
incense  to  her  honor.  She  had  twined  a  few  rose-leaves 


THE  BLIND    GOD. 

in  her  hair,  but  wore  no  other  ornament  save  the  rose 
he  had  given  her  in  the  morning,  which  evidently  had 
been  kept  carefully  for  the  occasion,  for  it  was  un 
changed,  with  the  exception  that  it  revealed  its  heart 
a  little  more  openly,  as  did  Ida  herself.  And  yet  she 
did  her  best  to  insure  that  her  manner  should  be  no 
more  cordial  than  her  character  of  hostess  demanded. 

But  in  spite  of  all  she  could  do,  the  light  of  exulta 
tion  and  intense  joy  would  flash  into  her  eyes  and 
tremble  in  her  tones  that  evening.  A  maiden  would 
have  been  blind  indeed  had  she  not  been  able  to  read 
the  riddle  of  Van  Berg's  ardent  friendship  now,  and 
Ida  had  seen  that  expression  too  often  not  to  know 
its  meaning  well.  In  the  morning  she  had  strongly 
hoped,  now  she  believed.  She  no  longer  walked  by 
faith  but  in  full  vision,  and  she  trod  with  the  grace  of 
a  queen  who  knows  her  power  in  the  realm  that 
woman  loves  best.  The  glow  of  her  eyes,  her  re 
pressed  excitement,  that  vitalized  everything  she  said 
or  did,  mystified  while  they  charmed  her  guest. 
"  She  has  become  true  to  nature,"  he  thought,  "  and 
like  nature  is  full  of  mysterious  changes,  for  which  we 
know  not  the  cause.  At  one  time  it  is  a  sharp  north 
wind,  again  the  south  wind.  This  morning  there  was 
a  sudden  shower  of  tears,  and  before  it  was  over  the 
sunlight  of  smiles  flashed  through  them.  Now  she 
appears  like  a  June  morning,  and  I  pray  the  weather 
holds." 

"  Oh,"  thought  Ida,  in  the  wild,  triad  glee  of  her 

heart,  "  how  can  I  behave  myself  and  look  innocent 

and  unconscious,  seeing  what  I  do  ?     He  is  my  very 

good  friend  is  he  ?     I  wish  for  only  one  such  friend  in 

24 


554  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

the  world.  It  wouldn't  be  proper  to  have  another.  Oh, 
but  isn't  it  rich  to  see  how  unconscious  he  is  of  him 
self!  He  is  passing  into  an  exceedingly  acute  attack 
of  my  own  complaint,  and  the  poor  man  doesn't  know 
what  is  the  matter.  I  don't  believe  he  ever  looked  at 
Jennie  Burton  as  he  looks  at  me.  Ah,  Jennie  Bur 
ton  !  "  The  joyousness  suddenly  faded  out  of  her  face 
and  she  sighed  deeply.  It  seemed  to  Van  Berg  for  a 
time  that  his  June  morning  might  become  clouded 
after  all,  but  while  his  face  was  turned  towards  her 
with  the  expression  it  now  wore  no  sad  thoughts  or 
misgivings  could  shadow  Ida  very  long. 


SWEPT  AWAY. 


555 


CHAPTER  L. 

SWEPT    AWAY. 

rT^HERE  was  no  vulgar  profusion  in  the  dinner 
JL  which  Ida  had  ordered,  nor  were  its  courses  in 
terminable  ;  and  as  she  gracefully  and  quietly  directed 
everything,  the  thought  would  keep  insinuating  itself 
in  Van  Berg's  mind,  that  the  home  over  which  she 
might  eventually  preside  would  be  a  near  suburb  of 
Paradise.  He  heartily  seconded  Ida's  purpose  that 
her  father  should  take  part  in  their  conversation,  and 
it  was  another  deep  source  of  her  gladness  that  the 
one  whom  she  had  seen  so  depressed  and  despairing, 
now  looked  as  she  would  always  wish  him  to  appear. 
"  Oh,  it's  too  good  to  last,"  she  sighed,  as  her  heart 
fairly  ached  with  its  excess  of  joy. 

After  dinner  Mr.  Mayhew  asked  Van  Berg  to  light 
a  cigar  with  him  in  his  study,  but  the  artist  declined 
and  followed  Ida  to  the  parlor. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  with  a  great  show  of 
surprise,  "  how  is  it  you  don't  smoke  this  evening  ? 
It  seemed  to  me  that  you  and  Cousin  Ik  were  drawn 
to  a  certain  corner  of  Mr.  Burleigh's  piazza  with  the 
certainty  of  gravitation  after  dinner,  and  then  you 
were  lost  in  the  clouds." 

"  On  this  occasion  I  have  taken  my  choice  of 
pleasures  and  have  followed  you." 


556  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  This  is  a  proud  moment  for  me,"  she  said,  with  a 
mirthful  twinkle  in  her  eyes.  "  I  never  expected  to 
rival  a  gentleman's  cigar,  and  I  don't  think  I  ever 
did  before.'1 

"  Another  proof  of  my  friendship,  Miss  Ida." 

"  Yes,"  she  replied  demurely,  "an  act  like  this 
goes  a  good  way  towards  making  me  believe  you  are 
sincere." 

"  Miss  Ida,  you  are  always  laughing  at  me.  I  wish 
I  could  find  some  way  to  get  even  with  you,  and  I 
will  too." 

"  You  do  me  injustice.  I,  in  turn,  will  lay  an  offer 
ing  on  the  altar  of  friendship  and  will  go  with  you 
this  evening  to  the  concert  garden." 

"  I  thank  you  exceedingly,  but  will  leave  the  offer 
ing  on  the  altar,  if  you  will  permit  me.  I  would  much 
rather  remain  in  your  parlor." 

"  Why,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  you  are  bent  on  being  a 
martyr  for  my  sake  this  evening." 

"  Yes,  wholly  bent  upon  it." 

"  How  amiable  gentlemen  are  after  dinner  !  "  she 
exclaimed.  "  But  where  was  your  appetite  this  even 
ing  ?  Clearly  our  cook  knows  nothing  of  the  prep 
aration  of  ambrosia  nor  I  of  nectar,  although  I  made 
the  coffee  myself." 

"  Did  you  ?  That  accounts  for  its  divine  flavor. 
Don't  you  remember  I  took  two  cups  ?  " 

"  I  saw  that  your  politeness  led  you  to  send  me 
your  cup  a  second  time.  I  suppose  you  accom 
plished  a  vast  deal  again  to-day  after  you  were  once 
finally  rid  of  an  embodiment  of  April  weather  ?  " 

"  I  would  lose  your  respect  altogether  if  I  should 


SWEPT  AWAY. 

tell  you  how  I  have  spent  the  afternoon.  You  would 
think  me  an  absurd  jumble  of  moods  and  tenses.  I 
may  as  well  own  up,  I  suppose.  I  have  done  nothing 
but  kill  time,  and  to  that  end  I  took  a  walk  through 
Central  Park.1' 

"This  hot  afternoon!  Mr.  Van  Berg,  what  pos 
sessed  you  ?  " 

"  A  demon  of  impatience.  It  seemed  as  if  old 
Joshua  had  commanded  the  sun  to  stand  still  again." 

"  You  must  indeed  be  a  genius,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  for 
I've  always  heard  that  the  peculiarly  gifted  were  full 
of  unaccountable  moods." 

"  I  understand  the  satire  of  your  expression  'pecu 
liarly  gifted/  but  my  turn  will  come  before  the  even 
ing  is  over,"  and  he  leaned  luxuriously  back  against 
the  sofa  cushion  with  a  look  of  infinite  content  with 
the  prospect  before  him.  ' '  Bless  me,  what  is  this  over 
which  I  have  half  broken  my  back,"  he  exclaimed, 
and  he  dragged  out  of  its  partial  concealment  a  huge 
volume. 

"  Please  let  me  take  that  out  of  your  way,"  said 
Ida,  stepping  hastily  forward  with  crimson  cheeks. 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself,  Miss  Mayhew ;  fortune  is 
favoring  me  once  more,  and  I  am  on  the  point  of  dis 
covering  the  favorite  author  you  would  not  mention 
this  morning.  An  encyclopaedia,  as  I  live  !  from  A 
to  B,  with  a  hair-pin  inserted  sharply  at  the  word 
Amsterdam.  Really,  Miss  Ida,  I  can't  account  for 
your  absorbing  interest  in  Amsterdam." 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  there  is  no  use  in  trying  to  nide 
anything  from  you.  You  find  me  out  every  time  and 
I'm  really  growing  superstitious  about  it." 


558  A  FACE   ILLUMINED. 

"  I  wish  your  words  were  true  ;  but,  for  the  life  of 
me,  I  can't  understand  why  you  should  crave  ency 
clopaedias  as  August  reading,  nor  can  I  see  the  re 
motest  connection  between  the  exquisite  color  of 
your  face  and  the  old  Dutch  city  of  Amsterdam." 

"  Well,  the  Fates  are  against  me  once  more.  Why 
I  left  that  book  there  I  don't  know,  for  I'm  not 
usually  so  careless.  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  scarcely  need 
remind  you  of  a  fact  that  you  discovered  long  ago — 
I  don't  know  anything.  Do  you  not  remember  how 
you  tried  to  talk  with  me  one  evening  ?  You  touched 
on  almost  as  many  subjects  as  that  huge  volume  con 
tains,  and  my  face  remained  as  vacant  through  them 
all  as  the  blank  pages  in  that  book  before  the  printed 
matter  begins." 

"  But  now,  Miss  Ida,  your  face  is  to  me  like  this 
book  after  the  printed  matter  begins,  only  I  read 
there  that  which  interests  me  far  more  than  anything 
which  this  bulky  tome  contains,  even  under  the  word 
Amsterdam." 

"  You  imagine  far  more  than  you   see.      I   think 

artists  are  like  poets,  and  are  given  to  great  flights. 

Besides,  you  are  becoming  versed  in  my  small  talk. 

When  you  tried  it  on  the  evening  I  referred  to,  you 

-  were  just  a  trifle  ponderous." 

"  Yes,  I  can  now  see  myself  performing  like  a  lame 
elephant.  Did  you  propose  to  read  this  encyclopaedia 
entirely  through  ?  " 

"  I  might  have  skipped  art  as  a  subject  far  too. 
deep  for  me." 

"  When  you  come  to  that  let  me  take  the  place  of 
the  encyclopaedia.  I  will  sit  just  here  where  you 


SWEPT  AWAY. 


559 


keep  your  book  and  give  you  a  series  of  familiar 
lectures." 

"  I  never  enjoyed  being  lectured,  sir  !  " 

"  Then  I'll  teach  you  after  the  Socratic  method, 
and  ask  you  questions." 

"  I  fear  some  of  them  might  be  too  personal. 
You  have  such  a  mania  for  solving  everything." 

"  And  did  you  fear  that  at  some  of  the  many  sit 
tings  I  shall  need  this  fall  I  might  again  broach  every 
subject  under  the  sun,  and  so  you  were  led  to  read  an 
encyclopaedia  to  be  prepared  ?  " 

"  Is  that  what  you  mean  by  the  Socratic  method  ? 
I  decline  any  lessons  concerning  art  or  anything  else 
on  that  plan,  for  you  would  find  out  everything." 

"  I  shall,  anyway.  How  long  ago  it  seems  since 
we  took  that  stupid  walk  together  on  Mr.  Burleigh's 
piazza  !  We  are  nearer  together  now,  Miss  Ida,  than 
we  were  then." 

"  Oh  !  no,  indeed,"  she  replied,  quickly  ;  "  I  had 
your  arm  on  that  occasion." 

"  But  you  have  my* sincere  friendship  and  respect 
now.  I  can't  tell  you  how  pleased  I  was  when  I  saw 
how  you  had  honored  the  little  emblematic  flower  I 
gave  you  this  morning.  That  you  wear  it  to-night 
as  your  only  ornament  gives  me  hope  that  you  do 
value  my  respect  and  regard." 

"  I  think  I  had  better  let  the  rose-bud  answer  you, 
and  I  confess  I  like  to  think  how  perfect  it  is  when  I 
remember  the  meaning  you  gave  to  it,  though  how 
you  can  respect  me  at  all  I  cannot  understand.  Still, 
I  am  like  father — next  to  God's  favor  the  respect  of 
those  I  esteem  does  most  to  sustain  and  reassure  me, 


560  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

But,  oh  !  Mr.  Van  Berg,  you  can't  know  what  an 
honest  sense  of  ill-desert  I  have.  It  is  so  hard  just 
to  do  right,  no  matter  what  the  consequences  may 
be." 

"  The  trouble  with  me  is  that  I  am  not  trying  as 
you  are.  But  I  know,  with  absolute  certainty,  that 
the  strongest  impulse  of  true  friendship,  or  at  least  of 
mine,  in  this  instance,  is  to  render  some  service  to 
my  friend.  You  will  make  me  very  happy  if  you 
will  tell  me  of  something  I  can  do  for  you." 

"  You  are  helping  me  very  much  in  your  manner 
towards  father,  and  I  do  thank  you  from  the  very 
depths  of  my  heart.  In  no  way  could  you  have  won 
from  me  a  deeper  gratitude.  And — well — your  kind 
ness  almost  tempts  me  to  ask  another  favor,  Mr.  Van 
Berg." 

He  sprang  to  her  side  and  took  her  hand. 

Quickly  withdrawing  it,  she  said  with  a  little  deci 
sive  nod:  "You  must  sit  down  and  sit  still,  for  I 
have  a  long,  tiresome  story  to  tell,  and  a  very  prosaic 
favor  to  ask  ;"  for  she  had  resolved,  "  he  shall  go  for 
ward  now  with  his  eyes  open,  and  he  shall  never  say 
I  won  him  by  seeming  what  I  was  not.  If  I  can't 
deal  right  by  Jennie  Burton,  I  will  by  him." 

"  I  shall  find  no  service  prosaic;  see,  I'm  all  atten 
tion,"  and  he  did  look  very  eager  indeed. 

"  That  encyclopaedia  suggests  my  story,  and  I  may 
have  to  refer  incidentally  to  myself." 

"  Leave  the  book  out ;  I'll  listen  for  ages." 

"  I  should  be  out  of  breath  before  that.  Mr.  Van 
Berg,  I'm  in  earnest ;  I  don't  know  anything  worth 
knowing.  My  life  has  been  worse  than  wasted,  and 


SWEPT  AWAY.  ^ 

the  only  two  things  I  understand  well  are  dancing  and 
flirting.  Now  I  know  you  are  disgusted,  but  it's 
the  truth.  My  old,  fashionable  life  seems  to  me  like 
the  tawdry  scenes  of  a  second-rate  theatre,  where 
everything  is  for  effect  and  nothing  is  real.  I  have 
hosts  of  acquaintances,  but  I  haven't  any  friends  ex 
cept  Mr.  Eltinge." 

"  And  Harold  Van  Berg,"  put  in  the  artist,  prompt- 

ly. 

"It's  good  of  you  to  say  that  after  such  confes 
sions,"  she  continued,  with  a  shy  glance.  "  I  hope  it 
wasn't  out  of  politeness.  Well,  I've  waked  up  at  last. 
I  think  you  first  startled  me  out  of  my  insufferable 
stupidity  and  silliness  at  the  concert  garden,  and  I'm 
very  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  remark  you  made  to 
Cousin  Ik  on  that  occasion." 

"Yes,  I  remember,"  Van  Berg  groaned.  "I 
waked  you  up  as  if  I  were  trying  to  put  your  shoul 
der  out  of  joint.  Well,  I'm  waking  up  also." 

"  You  have  no  idea  what  a  perfect  sham  of  a  life 
I  led,"  and  she  told  him  frankly  of  her  wasted  school' 
days  and  of  her  trip  abroad,  for  which  she  had  no 
preparation  of  mind  or  character.  * '  A  butterfly  might 
have  flown  over  the  same  ground  and  come  back  just 
as  wise,"  she  said.  "  But  I  have  suddenly  entered  a 
new  world  of  truth  and  duty,  and  I  am  bewildered  ;  I 
am  anxious  to  fit  myself  for  the  society  of  sensible, 
cultivated  people,  and  I  am  discouraged  by  the  task 
before  me.  I  went  to  father's  library  yesterday  and 
was  perfectly  appalled  by  the  number  of  books  and 
subjects  that  I  know  nothing  about.  The  fact  that 
I  stumbled  into  that  encyclopaedia,  which  gave  you 


562  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

the  laugh  against  me,  shows  how  helpless  I  am.  In 
deed,  I'm  like  a  little  child  trying  to  find  its  way 
through  a  wilderness  of  knowledge.  I  blundered  on 
as  far  as  Amsterdam,  and  there  I  stopped  in  despair. 
I  didn't  know  what  was  before  me,  and  I  was  getting 
everything  I  had  been  over  confused  and  mixed  up 
in  my  mind.  And  now,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  with  your 
thorough  education  and  wide  experience  you  can  tell 
me  what  to  read  and  how  to  read." 

Van  Berg's  face  was  fairly  alive  with  interest,  and 
he  said  eagerly  :  "  The  favor  you  ask  suggests  a  far 
greater  one  on  my  part.  Let  me  go  with  you  through 
this  wilderness  of  knowledge.  We  can  take  up 
courses  of  reading  together." 

At  this  moment  Mr.  Mayhew  entered,  and  the 
artist  hesitated  to  go  on  with  his  far-reaching  offers, 
and,  indeed,  he  suddenly  began  to  realize,  with  some 
embarrassment,  how  much  they  did  involve. 

But  Ida  maintained  her  presence  of  mind,  and  said, 
simply:  "  That  would  be  impossible,  though  no  doubt 
exceedingly  helpful  to  me.  Here,  as  in  the  instance 
of  the  pictures,  your  good-nature  and  kindness  carry 
you  far  beyond  what  I  ever  dreamed  of  asking.  I 
merely  thought  that  in  some  of  your  moments  of  lei 
sure  you  could  jot  down  some  books  and  subjects 
that  would  be  the  same  as  if  you  had  pointed  out 
smooth  and  shady  paths.  You  see,  in  my  ignorance, 
I've  tried  to  push  my  way  through  the  wilderness 
straight  across  everything.  Last  evening  I  pestered 
father  with  so  many  questions  about  politics  and  the 
topics  of  the  day,  that  he  thought  I  had  lost  my 
wits." 


SWEPT  AWAY.         .  563 

Mr.  Mayhew  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed 
heartily,  as  he  mentally  ejaculated  :  "  Well  done,  lit 
tle  girl !  " 

"  I  will  brush  up  my  literary  ideas,  and  do  the  best 
I  can,  very  gladly,"  said  Van  Berg.  "  But  you  greatly 
underrate  yourself  and  overrate  my  ability.  I  am 
still  but  on  the  edge  of  this  wilderness  of  knowledge 
myself,  and  in  crossing  a  wilderness  one  likes  com 
pany." 

"  Oh,  I  could  never  keep  up  with  your  manly 
strides,"  said  Ida,  with  a  sudden  trill  of  laughter. 
"  Having  secured  my  wish,  I  shall  now  reward  you 
with  some  very  poor  music,  which  will  suggest  my 
need  of  lessons  in  that  direction  also." 

Van  Berg  was  not  long  in  discovering  that  she 
never  could  become  a  great  musician,  no  matter  how 
many  lessons  she  had.  But  she  played  with  taste 
and  a  graceful  rhythm,  which  proved  that  music  in 
its  simpler  forms  might  become  a  language  by  which 
she  could  express  her  thought  and  feeling. 

"Ida,"  said  Mr.  Mayhew,  a  little  abruptly,  "I 
wish  to  see  a  friend  at  the  club.  I'll  be  back  before 
the  evening  is  over." 

"  Please  don't  stay  long,"  Ida  answered,  looking 
wistfully  after  him. 

Then  they  found  some  ballad-music  that  they  could 
sing  together,  and  Van  Berg  expressed  great  pleasure 
in  finding  how  well  their  voices  blended. 

"  You  have  modestly  kept  quiet  all  summer,  and  I 
am  just  finding  out  that  you  play  and  sing,"  he  said. 

"  I  would  not  have  the  confidence  to  do  either  at 
a  hotel.  I  shall  never  be  able  to  do  any  more  than 


564 


A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 


furnish  a  little  simple  home  music  to  friends,  not 
critics." 

"  I'm  content  with  that  arrangement,  for  I  have 
dropped  my  character  of  critic  finally." 

*'  But  true  friends  never  flatter,"  she  said.  "  If 
you  won't  help  me  overcome  my  faults  I  shall  have 
to  find  another  friend." 

"  As  you  recommended  an  ancient  woman  as  nurse, 
so  I  will  recommend  the  venerable  friend  you  have 
already  found,  and  ask  you  to  let  him  do  all  the  fault 
finding." 

She  turned  to  him  and  said  earnestly  :  "  Mr.  Van 
Berg,  are  you  not  a  sufficiently  sincere  friend  to  tell 
me  my  faults  ?  "  r^ 

"  Yes,  Miss  Ida,  if  you  ask  me  to." 

"  Only  as  you  do  so  can  you  keep  my  respect." 

"  You  are  very  much  in  earnest.  I  never  saw 
greater  fidelity  to  conscience  before ;  and  I  should  be 
very  sorry  if,  for  any  cause,  your  conscience  were 
arrayed  against  me." 

She  suddenly  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and 
trembled.  Then  turning  from  him  to  her  piano  again 
she  faltered:  "  I  disregarded  conscience  once  and  I 
suffered  deeply,"  and  in  the  depths  of  her  soul  she 
added.  "  and  I  fear  I  shall  again." 

"  Miss  Ida,"  he  said,  impetuously,  "  I  cannot  tell 
you  what  a  fascination  your  new,  beautiful  life  has  for 
me  as  seen  against  the  dark  background  of  memories 
which  neither  you  nor  I  can  ever  wholly  banish.  But 
I  am  causing  you  pain  now,"  for  she  became  very 
pale,  as  was  ever  the  case  when  there  was  the  faintest 
allusion  to  the  awful  crime  which  she  had  contem- 


SWEPT  AWAY.  565 

plated.  "  Forgive  me,"  he  added  earnestly,  "  and 
sing,  please,  that  little  meadow  brook  song,  of  which 
I  caught  a  few  bars  last  evening.  That,  I  think, 
must  contain  an  antidote  against  all  morbid  thoughts." 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  she  said.  "  It's  very  silly 
and  sentimental ;  you  won't  like  it." 

"  Nevertheless  please  sing  it,  for  if  not  to  my  taste, 
you  will  prevent  its  running  in  my  head  any  longer, 
as  it  has  ever  since  I  heard  it." 

"  You  will  never  ask  for  it  again,"  she  said,  and 
she  sang  the  following  words  to  a  low-gliding  melody 
designed  to  suggest  the  murmur  of  a  small  stream  : 

'  Twas  down  in  a  meadow,  close  by  a  brook, 
A  violet  bloomed  in  a  shadowy  nook. 
She  gazed  at  the  rill  with  a  wistful  eye — 
"  He  cares  not  for  me,  he's  hastening  by," 

She  sighed. 

In  sunshine  and  shade  the  brook  sped  along, 
Nor  ceased  for  a  moment  his  gurgling  song. 
"  'T would  sing  all  the  same  were  I  withered  and  dead  " — 
And  the  blue-eyed  violet  bowed  her  head 

And  died. 

But  the  rill  and  the  song  went  on  the  same 
Till  the  pitiless  frost  of  winter  came, 
When  the  song  was  hushed  in  an  icy  chill, 
And  the  gay  little  brook  at  last  stood  still 

And  thought —  ^ 

"Oh,  could  I  now  see  the  violet  blue 
That  looked  at  me  once  with  eyes  of  dew, 
I'd  spring  to  her  feet  and  lingering  stay 
Till  sure  I  was  bearing  her  love  away, 

Well  sought.'* 

The   song  seemed  to  disturb  the  artist  somewhat. 


566  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  The  stupid  brook  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  It  was  so 
stupid  as  to  be  almost  human." 

"  I  knew  you  wouldn't  like  it,"  she  said,  looking 
up  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  I  like  your  singing  and  the  music,  but  that  brook 
provokes  me,  the  little  idiot !  Why  didn't  it  stop 
before?" 

"I  take  the  brook's  part,"  said  Ida.  "Because 
the  violet  gazed  at  it  in  a  lackadaisical  way  was 
no  reason  for  its  stopping  unless  it  wanted  to.  In 
deed,  if  I  were  the  violet  I  should  want  the  brook  to 
go  on,  unless  it  couldn't  help  stopping." 

"It  did  stop  when  it  couldn't  help  itself,  and  then 
it  was  too  late,"  said  Van  Berg,  with  a  frown. 

Ida  trilled  out  one  of  her  sudden  laughs,  as  she 
said,  "  Don't  take  the  matter  so  to  heart,  Mr.  Van 
Berg.  When  spring  came  the  brook  went  on  as 
merrily  as  ever,  and  was  well  contented  to  have  other 
violets  look  at  it." 

"  Miss  Ida,  you  are  a  witch,"  said  the  artist,  and 
with  an  odd,  involuntary  gesture  he  passed  his  hand 
across  his  brow  as  if  to  brush  away  a  mist  or  film 
from  his  mind. 

"Oh!"  thought  Ida,  with  passionate  longing, 
"  may  my  spells  hold,  or  else  I  may  feel  like  follow 
ing  the  example  of  the  silly  little  violet."  But  she 
pirouetted  up  to  her  father,  who  was  just  entering, 
and  said:  "It's  time  you  came,  father.  Mr.  Van 
Berg  has  begun  calling  me  names." 

"  I  shall  follow  his  example  by  calling  you  my 
good  fairy.  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  have  been  in  paradise 
all  the  week." 


SWEPT  AWAY.  567 

"  I  shall  not  join  this  mutual  admiration  society, 
and  I  insist  that  you  two  gentlemen  talk  in  a  sensible 
way." 

But  Van  Berg  seemed  to  find  it  difficult  to  come 
down  to  a  matter-of-fact  conversation  with  Mr.  May-  ». 
hew,  and  soon  after  took  his  leave.     Before  going  he 
tried  to  induce  Ida  to  come  to  the  studio  again,  but 
she  declined,  saying  : 

"  Mother  has  entrusted  to  me  several  commissions, 
and  I  must  attend  to  them  to-morrow  morning.  As  it 
is,  my  conscience  troubles  me  very  much  that  I  have 
left  her  alone  all  the  week,  and  I  shall*  try  to  make 
all  the  amends  I  can  by  getting  what  she  wishes." 

"  Oh  !  your  terrible  conscience  !  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,  it  has  been  scolding  me  all  day  for  wasting 
so  much  of  your  time.  Now  don't  burden  yours 
with  any  denials.  Good-night."  • 

He  turned  eagerly  to  protest  against  her  words, 
but  she  was  retreating  rapidly  ;  she  gave  him  a  smile 
over  her  shoulder,  however,  that  was  at  once  full 
of  mirth  and  something  more — something  that  he 
could  not  explain  or  grasp  any  more  than  he  could 
the  soft,  silvery  light  of  the  moon  that  filled  the  sky, 
and  was  as  real  as  it  was  intangible.  He  walked 
away  as  if  in  a  dream  ;  he  continued  his  aimless  wan 
derings  for  hours,  but  swift  as  were  his  strides  a 
swifter  current  of  passion,  deep  and  strong,  was 
sweeping  him  away  from  Jennie  Burton  and  the 
power  to  make  good  his  open  pledge  to  win  her  if  he 
could.  He  still  was  dreaming,  he  still  was  lost  in 
the  luminous  mists  of  his  own  imagination.  But  the 
hour  of  waking  and  clear  vision  was  drawing  near, 


568  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

and  Harold  Van  Berg  would  learn  anew  that  the  cool, 
well-balanced  reason  on  which  he  had  once  so  prided 
himself  was  scarcely  equal  to  all  the  questions  which 
complex  human  life  presents. 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE. 


CHAPTER  LI. 

FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE. 

WITH  the  night  dreams  began  to  vanish  and  the 
prose  of  reality  gradually  to  take  form  and 
outline  in  Van  Berg's  mind.  He  was  compelled  to 
admit  that  the  plausible  theories  by  which  he  had 
hitherto  satisfied  himself  scarcely  accounted  for  his 
moods  and  sensations  the  past  few  days,  and  memory 
quietly  informed  him  that  it  had  never  had  any  con 
sciousness  of  such  a  friendship  as  he  now  was  form 
ing.  But  like  many  another  man  in  the  process  of 
conviction  against  his  will,  he  became  irritable  and 
angrily  blind  to  a  truth  that  would  place  him  in  an 
intolerable  dilemma.  He  went  to  his  studio,  and 
worked  with  dogged  obstinacy  on  the  picture  de 
signed  for  Ida,  giving  his  time  to  those  details  which 
required  only  artistic  skill,  for  his  perturbed  mind 
was  in  no  mood  for  any  nice  creative  work. 

He  had  agreed  to  meet  Ida  and  her  father  on  the 
afternoon  boat ;  and  his  impatience,  and  the  early 
hour  he  started  to  keep  the  appointment,  was  another 
straw  which  he  was  compelled  to  see  m  spite  of  him 
self;  nor  could  he  fail  to  note  which  way  the  current 
was  bearing  him. 

"  Well,"  he  muttered,  with  the  fatuity  common  in 


570 


A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 


all  strong  temptations,  <c  I'll  spend  a  few  more  hours 
with  this  rare  Undine,  this  genuine  woman,  who — 
infinitely  more  beautiful  than  Venus — is  rising  out  of 
the  dark  waters  of  sorrow,  shame,  and  despair,  and 
then  if  I  find  that  it  will  be  wiser  and  safer  to  be  only 
a  somewhat  unobtrusive  and  distant  friend,  showing 
my  good-will  more  by  deeds  than  by  seeking  her 
society,  I  can  gradually  take  this  course  without 
wounding  her  feelings  or  exciting  suspicion  of  the 
cause.  She  was  right,  although  she  little  imagines 
the  reason;  we  could  never  have  those  readings 
together,  and  I  fear  I  must  manage  with  far  fewer 
visits  to  my  studio  than  I  had  hoped  for.  What  an 
accursed  chaotic  old  world  it  is  anyway  !  How  grate 
ful  she  is  because  I  merely  treat  her  father  politely  ! 
It  would  be  impossible  to  do  anything  else,  now  that 
he  is  himself  again,  and  yet,  by  this  simple,  easy 
method,  I  have  won  a  friendlier  regard  than  I  could 
by  any  other  means.  Like  an  idiot,  I  once  thought 
she  would  have  to  withdraw  from  her  father  to  de 
velop  her  new  and  beautiful  life.  If  even  in  faintest 
suggestion  I  had  revealed  that  thought  to  her,  I 
don't  believe  she  would  have  spoken  to  me  again ; 
and  I  foresee  that  I  shall  have  to  be  exceedingly  polite 
to  Mrs.  Mayhew  also,  for  my  Undine  is  developing  a 
conscience  that  might  become  a  man's  implacable 
enemy.  But  what  am  I  thinking  about  !  If  I  do 
not  intend  to  see  much  of  the  daughter,  I  shall  not 
waste  any  time  on  the  mother.  I  wonder  if  Miss 
Mayhew  meant  anything  by  that  odd  little  ballad  last 
evening.  Could  she  have  intended  to  remind  me  of 
blue-eyed  Jennie  Burton  ?  No,  for  she  was  singing 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE. 

it  by  herself,  when  she  did  not  know  I  was  listening. 
The  idiotic  brook  !  If  I  had  given  my  whole  heart 
to  the  effort  I  might  have  won  Jennie  Burton  by  this 
time.  Ida  Mayhew  was  right ;  no  woman  that  I  wish 
to  win  will  show  a  lover  any  favor  till  he  cannot  help 
stopping  and  staying,  too." 

A  moment  later  he  stopped  short  in  the  street. 
"Great  God!"  muttered  he,  "do  I  wish  to  win 
Jennie  Burton  ?  Whither  am  I  drifting  ?  Would  to 
heaven  I  had  not  made  this  appointment  this  after 
noon.  Well,  I'm  in  for  it  now,"  and  he  strode  along 
as  if  he  were  going  into  battle,  resolving  to  be  guarded 
to  the  last  degree,  lest  Ida  should  suspect  his  weak 
ness.  .V?- 

He  saw  her  come  on  the  boat  with  her  father  at 
the  last  moment,  her  cheeks  flushed  with  the  heat 
and  her  eyes  aglow  with  the  hurry  and  excitement 
of  the  occasion.  He  saw  one  and  another  of  her 
young  gentleman  acquaintances  step  eagerly  forward 
to  speak  to  her  and  admiring  eyes  turning  towards 
her  on  every  side.  "  She  won't  lack  for  friends  and 
companions  now,  and  I  soon  will  be  little  missed," 
he  thought  bitterly.  One  gentleman,  in  his  impa 
tience  for  her  society,  sought  to  obtain  her  small 
travelling-bag,  and  was  assuring  her  that  he  could 
obtain  seats  for  herself  and  father  on  the  crowded 
boat,  when,  by  her  timid  glance  around,  she  showed 
that  she  was  expecting  some  one,  and  Van  Berg 
hastened  forward  and  said  quietly,  "  I  have  seats  re 
served  in  the  pilot-house." 

She  gave  him  a  glad  smile  of  welcome  ;  but  almost 
instantly  her  face  became  grave  and  questioning  in 


572  ^   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

its  expression,  and  she  looked  at  him  keenly  as  he 
cordially  shook  hands  with  her  father.  As  they  went 
away  with  him,  as  if  by  a  prearrangement  several 
guests  of  the  Lake  House  looked  at  each  other  and 
nodded  their  heads  significantly. 

While  on  the  way  to  the  pilot-house,  and  during 
their  conversation  after  arriving  there,  Ida  often 
turned  a  quick,  questioning  glance  towards  Van  Berg, 
and  her  expression  reminded  him  of  some  children's 
faces  he  had  seen  as  they  tried  to  read  the  thoughts 
or  intentions  of  those  who  had  their  interests  in 
keeping.  He  tried  his  best  to  be  cordial  and  natural 
in  manner — to  be,  in  brief,  the  sincere  friend  that  he 
had  professed  himself — and  Mr.  Mayhew  did  not  no 
tice  anything  amiss  ;  but  even  at  some  inflection  of  his 
voice,  or  at  a  pause  in  the  conversation,  Ida  would 
turn  towards  him  this  sudden,  questioning,  child-like 
look,  which  touched  him  deeply  while  it  puzzled  him. 
But  she  gradually  began  to  grow  distrait  and  quiet, 
and  to  look  less  and  less  often.  Van  Berg  had  a 
deep  affection  for  the  noble  river  on  which  they  were 
sailing,  and  had  familiarized  himself  with  its  history 
and  legends.  By  means  of  these  he  sought  to  en 
tertain  Ida  and  her  father,  and  with  the  latter  he  suc 
ceeded  abundantly ;  but  he  often  doubted  whether 
Ida  heard  him,  for  her  eyes  and  thoughts  seemed  to 
be  wandering  beyond  the  blue  Highlands  which  they 
now  were  entering.  At  last  Mr.  Mayhew  left  them 
for  a  while,  and  Van  Berg  turned  and  said  gently  : 

"  Miss  Ida,  you  are  not  in  good  spirits  this  after 
noon." 

She  did  not  answer  for  a  moment,  but  averted  her 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE.  573 

face  still  further  from  him.  At  last  she  said,  in  a  low 
tone  :  "  Mr.  Van  Berg,  did  you  ever  have  a  presenti 
ment  of  evil  ?  " 

"  I  don't  believe  in  such  things,"  he  replied 
promptly. 

"Of  course  not;  you  are  a  man.  But  I  have 
such  a  presentiment  this  afternoon,  and  it  will  come 
true." 

"  What  do  you  fear,  Miss  Ida  ?  " 

"  What  does  a  woman  always  fear?  Earthquakes, 
political  changes,  disturbances  in  the  world  at  large, 
of  course." 

"  I  have  heard  that  a  woman's  kingdom  was  her 
heart,"  Van  Berg  was  indiscreet  enough  to  say. 

"  It  is  a  pity,"  Ida  replied  with  one  of  her  reckless 
laughs,  "for  it  so  often  happens  that  she  cannot 
keep  it,  and  those  who  wrest  it  from  her  do  not  care 
to  keep  it,  and  so  it  comes  to  be  what  the  geographies 
used  to  call  one  of  the  *  waste  places  of  the  earth.' 
As  the  world  goes,  I  think  I  had  better  retain  my 
kingdom,  small  as  it  is." 

He  turned  very  pale,  and  swift  as  light  he  thought : 
"  Has  she,  by  the  aid  of  her  woman's  intuition,  read 
my  thoughts  ?  Has  she  seen  the  beginnings  of  a  re 
gard  for  her  far  warmer  than  my  professed  friendship, 
and,  remembering  my  suit  to  Jennie  Burton,  is  she 
learning  to  despise  me  as  fickle,  or,  worse,  as  a  hypo 
critical  specimen  of  that  meanest  type  of  human  ver 
min — a  male  flirt  ?  "  and  his  face  grew  so  white  that 
Ida  in  her  turn  was  not  only  perplexed,  but  alarmed. 

But  after  a  moment  he  said  quietly :  "  It  is  not 
the  size  of  a  kingdom  that  makes  its  value,  but  what 


574  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

it  contains.  1  hope  you  will  keep  the  treasures  of 
yours  till  you  find  some  one  worthy  to  receive  them, 
and  I  can  scarcely  imagine  that  such  an  idiot  exists 
that  he  would  not  retain  them  if  he  could.  That  is 
Fort  Montgomery  yonder,"  and  he  resolutely  con 
tinued  the  story  of  its  defence  and  capture,  until  her 
father  returned  saying  it  was  time  to  come  down  and 
prepare  to  land. 

Ida  had  scarcely  heard  a  word.  Her  heart  almost 
stood  still  with  dread  and  foreboding,  and  like  a  dreary 
refrain  the  words  kept  repeating  themselves,  "  Oh, 
I'm  punished,  I'm  punished.  I  thought  to  win  him 
from  Jennie  Burton,  and  my  reckless  words  will  now 
make  him  true  to  her  at  every  cost  to  himself.  He 
knows  that  I  must  have  seen  how  he  won  the  king 
dom  of  her  heart,  and  he'll  keep  it  now  in  spite  of 
my  love  and  something  I  thought  love  that  I  saw  in 
his  face.  Oh,  my  punishment  is  greater  than  I  can 
bear  ;  but  it  is  deserved,  well  deserved.  If  he  had 
won  my  love  first,  what  would  I  think  of  the  woman 
who  tried  to  win  him  from  me  ?  She  would  have  suf 
fered  what  I  now  must  suffer.  My  bright  but  guilty 
dream  is  over  forever." 

Van  Berg  assisted  her  down  to  the  gangway 
and  out  on  the  wharf  with  a  grave  and  scrupulous 
politeness,  but  she  felt  even  more  than  she  saw  that 
her  words  had  stung  his  very  soul.  It  was  their 
apparent  truth  which  he  could  never  explain  away 
that  gave  them  their  power  to  wound  so  deeply,  and 
every  moment  brought  to  him  a  clearer  realization 
of  the  fact  that  he  had  tried  to  win,  and  was  pledged 
to  win  a  woman  whom  to  wrong  even  unwittingly 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE.  575 

would  be  an  act  for  which  he  could  never  forgive 
himself.  And  yet  his  heart  sank  at  the  thought  of 
meeting  her  ;  indeed,  so  guilty  and  embarrassed  did 
he  become  in  his  feelings  that  he  decided  he  would 
not  meet  her  before  others,  and  sprang  out  of  the 
stage,  saying  to  the  driver  that  he  preferred  walking 
the  remainder  of  the  way.  Mr.  Mayhew  looked  at 
him  in  some  surprise,  for  his  manner  had  changed  so 
now  as  to  attract  his  attention  and  excite  disagreeable 
surmises. 

To  Ida's  great  relief  Stanton  had  come  down  to 
meet  her  with  his  light-wagon.  He  had  seen  Van 
Berg  at  her  side  again  with  surprise,  and,  after  his 
fast  horses  had  whirled  them  well  away  by  them 
selves,  he  asked  a  little  abruptly  : 

"  Ida,  have  you  seen  Van  this  week  ?  " 

She  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  said  briefly: 
"  Yes.  We  met  at  the  concert-garden  again,  and  he 
dined  with  us  last  evening." 

Stanton  turned  and  looked  at  her  earnestly,  and 
her  color  rose  swiftly  under  his  questioning  eyes. 

"  My  poor  little  Ida,  we  are  in  the  same  boat,  I 
fear,"  he  said  compassionately. 

She  hid  her  face  on  his  shoulder.  "  Oh,  Ik,  spare 
me,"  she  faltered. 

"  It's  just  as  I  feared,"  Stanton  resumed,  with  a 
deep  sigh.  "  Maledictions  on  such  a  world  as  ours  ! 
The  devil  rules  it,  sure  enough." 

"  Oh,  hush,  hush,"  Ida  sobbed. 

"  I  see  it  all,  now ;  indeed,  I've  thought  it  all  out 
this  past  week.  You  only  used  Sibley  as  a  blind, 
poor  child." 


576  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Yes,  Ik,  I  loathed  and  detested  him  almost  from 
the  first." 

"And  in  the  meantime  the  sagacious  Van  Berg 
and  myself  were  trampling  on  you  like  a  couple  of 
long-eared  beasts.  How  did  you  ever  forgive  us  !  " 

"  Oh,  Ik,  Ik,  my  heart  is  breaking.  I've  had  such 
dreams  the  last  two  weeks.  I've  dared  to  think  I 
had  learned  a  little  of  God's  love,  and  oh — was  I 
blinded  by  my  wishes,  by  my  hopes,  by  the  passion 
ate  longing  of  my  heart  ? — I  thought  I  saw  love  in 
his  eyes,  and  heard  it  in  his  tones,  last  evening. 
Everything  now  is  slipping  from  me — happiness, 
hope,  and  even  my  faith.  But  I  deserve  it  all,"  she 
added  in  her  heart.  "  I  could  almost  curse  the 
woman  who  tried  to  win  him  from  me." 

Stanton  turned  his  horses  off  into  a  shady  and  un 
frequented  side  road  where  they  would  not  be  apt  to 
meet  any  one.  "  Good  heavens  !  "  he  thought ; 
"this  is  just  the  condition  of  mind  that  Van  warned 
me  to  guard  against,  and,  confound  him,  he  is 
the  cause  of  the  evils  he  feared,  and  in  their  worst 
form.  I  be  hanged  if  I  can  understand  him.  All 
through  July  he  was  Jennie  Burton's  open  suitor — 
at  least  he  made  no  secret  of  it  to  me,  although  his 
cool  head  enabled  him  to  throw  the  people  of  the 
house  off  the  scent — and  now  he  follows  another  lady 
to  New  York,  and  leaves  his  first  love  on  very  flimsy 
pretexts.  By  Jove  !  I  don't  like  it,  even  though  it 
were  possible  for  me  to  profit  by  his  folly." 

"  My  poor  little  Ida,"  he  said  gently,  putting  his 
arm  around  her,  "  you  and  I  must  stand  by  each 
other,  for  we  are  like  to  have  rough  weather  ahead 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE. 

for  awhile.  It's  no  kindness  to  you  now  to  hide  the 
truth.  I  do  not  know  that  Van  Berg  has  formally 
proposed  to  Miss  Burton,  but,  as  an  honorable  man, 
he  is  committed  to  her,  and  I  believe  he  has  won  her 
affections,  although  I  confess  I  don't  understand  her 
very  well.  She  has  evidently  had  very  deep  sor 
rows  in  the  past,  and  I  am  satisfied  that  she  has  felt 
his  absence  keenly  this  week." 

"  I  deserve  it  all,"  Ida  murmured  again,  but  so  low 
he  could  not  hear  her,  and  she  gave  way  to  another 
outburst  of  grief. 

"  It  will  pain  even  your  heart,  Ida,  to  see  how 
slight  and  pale  Miss  Burton  is  becoming.  She  also 
appears  strangely  restless,  and  takes  long  walks  that 
are  far  beyond  her  strength." 

"  It's  all  plain,"  groaned  Ida.  "  How  can  she  act 
otherwise  !  Well,  she  will  be  comforted  now,  no 
matter  what  becomes  of  me." 

"  You  will  be  a  brave  woman,  Ida,  and  pull  through 
all  right." 

"  No,  Ik,  I'm  not  brave.  I  could  easily  die  for 
those  I  love  ;  but  I  can't  just  suffer  and  be  patient, 
at  least  I  don't  see  how  I  can  ;  but  I  suppose.  I 
must." 

His  arm  tightened  about  her  waist,  and  she  felt  it 
trembling.  "  Ida,"  he  said,  in  a  low,  solemn  tone, 
"  promise  me  before  God  that  whatever  happens  you 
will  never " 

"Hush!"  sRe  gasped,  shudderingly,  "I  will  die 
in  God's  own  way.  I  will  endure  as  best  I  can." 

He  stooped  down  and  kissed  her  tenderly  as  he 
said  :  "  Ida,  dear,  from  this  hour  I'm  no  longer  your 
25 


578  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

cousin  merely,  but  a  brother,  and  your  companion  in 
misfortune.  I'm  going  to  stand  by  you  and  see  you 
through  this  trouble.  Just  count  on  me  to  shield 
you  in  every  possible  way.  I  don't  care  what  the 
world  thinks  of  me,  but  never  a  tongue  shall  wag 
against  you  again,  or  there  will  be  a  heavy  score  to 
settle  with  me.  Van  and  I  have  been  good  friends, 
but  he's  on  ticklish  ground  now.  He'll  find  he  can't 
play  fast  and  loose  with  two  such  women  as  you  and 
Jennie  Burton.  Curse  it  all  !  it  isn't  like  him  to  do 
it  either.  But  the  world  is  topsy-turvey,  anyhow." 

"  Ik,  I  plead  with  you,  say  nothing,  do  nothing. 
Be  blind  and  deaf  to  everything  of  which  we  have 
spoken.  Only  help  me  hide  my  secret  and  get  away 
from  this  place  to  some  other  where  I  am  not 
known." 

"  Has  your  father  any  idea  of  all  this  ?  " 

Ida  explained  in  part  her  father's  knowledge. 

"  We  can  easily  manage  it  then,"  he  said.  "  I  had 
decided  to  leave  next  week.  Miss  Burton  leaves  for 
her  college  duties  very  soon  also.  The  idea  of  that 
fragile  flower  being  trampled  on  nine  months  of  the 
year  by  a  crowd  of  thoughtless,  heedless  girls  !  And 
so  our  disastrous  summer  comes  to  an  end.  And  yet 
I'm  wrong  in  applying  that  term  to  my  own  experi 
ence.  I  wish  you  felt  as  I  do,  Ida.  I  haven't  a  par 
ticle  of  hope,  and  yet  I  would  not  give  up  my  love 
for  Jennie  Burton  for  all  the  world  ;  and  I  don't  be 
lieve  I  ever  shall  give  it  up.  I  think  she  is  beginning 
to  understand  me  a  little  better  now,  although  she 
does  not  give  me  much  thought.  One  day,  while 
you  have  been  gone,  I  met  her  returning  from  one 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE. 

of  her  walks,  and  she  looked  so  faint  and  sad  that  I 
could  not  endure  it,  and  I  went  straight  to  her  and 
took  her  hand  as  I  said  :  *  Miss  Burton,  is  there  any 
thing  Ik  Stanton  can  do  to  make  you  happier  ?  It's 
none  of  my  business,  I  suppose,  but  it's  breaking  my 
heart  to  see  you  becoming  so  sad  and  pale.  I  may 
seem  to  you  very  foolish  and  Quixotic,  but  there  is  no 
earthly  thing  I  would  not  do  or  suffer  for  you.'  She 
did  not  withdraw  her  hand  as  she  replied,  very 
gently  :  *  Mr.  Stanton,  please  do  me  the  kindness 
to  be  happy  yourself,  and  forget  me.'  I  could  only 
say,  in  honesty  :  '  You  have  asked  just  the  two 
things  which  are  utterly  impossible.'  Tears  came 
into  her  eyes  as  she  replied,  with  emphasis  :  '  Then, 
my  friend,  you  can  understand  me.  There  is  one 
whom  I  can  never  forget.'  She  was  kind  enough  to 
say  some  words  about  my  having  been  generous  and 
considerate  of  her  feelings,  etc.,  but  no  matter  about 
them.  We  parted,  and  it's  all  over  as  far  as  she  is 
concerned.  When  I  left  town  last  June  I  thought  I'd 
be  a  bachelor  always,  because  I  loved  my  jolly  ease. 
I've  a  better  reason  now,  Ida.  Of  course  Van  must 
be  the  one  referred  to  by  Miss  Burton.  You  have 
seen  how  she  looks  at  him  at  times  when  thinking 
herself  unobserved  !  " 

"Yes,"  sighed  Ida,  "it's  all  right.  God  is  just, 
and  there  is  no  use  of  trying  to  thwart  his  will." 

"  Well,  Ida,  I  don't  know.  It's  all  a  snarl  to  me. 
Sometimes  I  think  the  world  goes  on  the  toss-up-a- 
penny  plan,  and  again  it  almost  seems  as  if  Old  Nick 
himself  was  behind  the  scenes. 

"  Dear  Brother  Ik,  don't  talk  to  me  that  way.     If 


5  gO  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

I  do  lose  all  my  faith  now,  I  don't  know  what  will 
happen." 

"  Forgive  me,  Ida,  I  will  try  to  do  better  by  you, 
though  I  fear  I  shall  prove  one  of  Job's  comforters. 
We'll  stop  in  the  village,  get  some  supper  there,  and 
thus  you  won't  have  to  face  anybody  to-night,  and 
by  to-morrow  you  will  be  your  own  brave  self." 

"  Oh,"  moaned  Ida,  "  I  am  almost  as  sorry  for 
father's  sake  as  for  my  own.  How  can  I  keep  him 
up  when  I  am  sinking  myself?" 

Mr.  Mayhew  stood  on  the  piazza,  waiting  for  Ida 
and  wondering  why  she  did  not  come,  as  Van  Berg 
mounted  the  steps.  The  majority  of  the  people  had 
gone  in  to  supper,  but  Miss  Burton,  who  was  a  little 
late,  recognized  him  from  the  hallway,  and  she  came 
swiftly  out  to  greet  him.  Her  very  cordiality  was 
another  stab,  and  he  exerted  the  whole  power  of  his 
manhood  to  meet  her  in  like  spirit. 

"  I  did  not  know  I  should  miss  you  so  much,"  she 
said,  her  eyes  growing  a  little  moist  from  her  strong 
feeling.  "  I  suppose  we  never  value  our  friends  as 
we  ought  till  taught  their  worth  to  us  by  absence. 
But  if  you  have  been  successful  in  your  work  I  shall 
be  well  content." 

"  Yes,  Miss  Jennie,"  he  replied,"!  think  I  have 
been  successful.  The  picture  is  far  from  being  com 
plete,  but  I've  been  able  to  obtain  a  much  bettei 
likeness  of  Mr.  Eltinge  than  I  even  hoped  to  catch." 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  you  have  been  working  too  hard. 
You  look  exceedingly  weary.  What  possessed  you 
to  walk  all  these  miles  ?  Leave  us  women  to  do 
unreasonable  things,  and  least  of  all  are  they  be- 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE.  ^ 

coming  in  you  ;  come  at  once  and  get  a  good  sup 
per." 

He  could  not  disguise  the  pain  and  humiliation 
that  her  words  caused  him,  and  said  hurriedly,  "I 
will  join  you  in  a  few  moments,"  and  then  hastened 
to  his  room. 

Mr.  Mayhew,  with  the  delicacy  of  a  gentleman,  had 
withdrawn  out  of  earshot  as  they  conversed,  but  the 
warmth  of  Miss  Burton's  greeting  had  suggested  a 
thought  that  was  exceedingly  disquieting.  As  if 
from  a  sudden  impulse  he  went  directly  to  the  supper 
table,  and  his  quiet  courtesy  masked  the  closest  ob 
servation. 

Van  Berg  stood  in  his  room  a  moment  and  fairly 
trembled  with  shame  and  rage  at  himself.  Then, 
with  a  bitter  imprecation,  he  made  the  brief  toilet 
the  dust  of  his  walk  required,  and  his  face  was  so 
stern  and  white  one  might  think  he  was  about  to  face 
an  executioner  instead  of  Jennie  Burton's  blue  eyes 
beaming  with  friendship  at  least.  The  thought  of 
discovering  anything  warmer  in  their  expression  sent 
a  mortal  chill  to  her  former  woer's  heart.  He  ex 
pected  to  meet  Ida  at  the  table,  and  the  ordeal  of 
meeting  the  woman  to  whom  he  was  pledged  in  the 
presence  of  the  woman  he  loved  was  like  the  ancient 
Trial  by  Fire. 

"  Curse  it  all,"  he  muttered,  "  they  can  both  read 
one's  thoughts  as  if  they  were  printed  on  sign-boards. 
I  was  scarcely  conscious  of  what  my  ardent  friend 
ship  for  Miss  Mayhew  meant  before  she  looked  me 
in  the  face  and  saw  the  whole  truth,  and  she  almost 
the  same  as  charged  me  with  winning  Jennie  Burton's 


582  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

heart  and  then  throwing  it  away,  while  in  tLe  same 
breath  she  hinted  that  I  need  not  attempt  any  such 
folly  and  meanness  in  her  case.  If  ever  a  man's 
pride  and  self-respect  received  a  mortal  wound  mine 
has  to-day.  And  now  I  feel  with  instinctive  cer 
tainty,  that  Miss  Burton  will  see  the  truth  just  as 
clearly,  and  then  my  burden  for  life  will  be  the  con 
tempt  of  the  two  women  whom  I  honor  as  I  do  my 
mother's  name.  Well,  there  is  no  help  for  it  now, 
my  ship  is  on  the  rocks  already." 

He  was  greatly  relieved  to  find  that  Ida  was  not  at 
the  table,  but,  in  spite  of  his  best  efforts,  Miss  Burton 
soon  saw  that  something  was  amiss,  and  that  it  was 
difficult  for  him  to  sustain  his  part  of  the  conversa 
tion.  With  her  graceful  tact,  however,  she  was  blind 
to  all  she  imagined  he  would  not  have  her  notice,  and 
tried  to  enliven  both  Mr.  Mayhew  and  himself  with 
her  cheery  talk — a  vain  effort  in  each  instance  now. 

"How  slight  and  spirit- like  she  is  becoming!" 
groaned  Van  Berg,  inwardly.  "  Great  God  !  if  I 
have  wronged  her,  how  awful  will  be  my  punish 
ment  !  " 

"She  loves  him,"  was  Mr.  Mayhew's  conclusion, 
"  and  from  his  manner  I  fear  he  has  given  her  reason. 
At  any  rate,  for  some  cause,  he  is  in  great  perplexity 
and  trouble." 

After  supper  Van  Berg  stood  near  the  main  stair 
way,  still  conversing  with  Miss  Burton,  when  a  light, 
quick  step  caused  him  to  look  up  and  he  saw  Ida, 
who  had  entered  by  a  side  door.  He  knew  she  must 
have  seen  him  and  Miss  Burton  also,  but  she  passed 
him  with  veiled  and  downcast  face,  and  went  swiftly 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE.  583 

up  the  stairway  to  her  room.  It  seemed  to  him  a 
cut  direct.  "  She  and  Stanton  have  been  comparing 
notes,"  he  said  to  himself,  and  he  crimsoned  at  the 
thought  of  what  he  must  now  appear  to  her.  Miss 
Burton  had  been  standing  with  her  back  towards  the 
stairway  and  had  not  seen  Ida  at  first,  but  Van  Berg's 
hot  flush  caused  her  to  glance  around  and  see  the 
cause,  and  then  she  understood  his  manner  better. 
But  it  was  her  creed  that  people  manage  such  things 
best  without  interference,  even  from  the  kindliest 
motives,  and  she  therefore  made  no  allusion  to  Miss 
Mayhew  that  evening. 

"Miss  Jennie,"  said  Van  Berg,  yielding  to  what 
he  now  felt  had  become  a  necessity,  "  I  may  seem 
more  of  a  heathen  to  you  to-morrow  than  ever. 
There  is  a  distant  mountain  and  lake  that  I  wish 
to1  visit  before  I  return  to  town,  and  I  shall  start  early 
to-morrow.  So  if  I  do  not  come  back  very  early 
you  need  not  think  that  the  earth  has  swallowed  me 
up  or  that  I  have  fallen  a  prey  to  wild  beasts.  Good 
night,"  and  he  pressed  her  hand  warmly. 

She  looked  at  him  wistfully  and  seemed  about  to 
speak,  for  she  was  vaguely  conscious  of  his  deep 
trouble.  She  checked  the  impulse,  however,  and 
parted  from  him  with  a  kindly  smile  that  suggested 
sympathy  rather  than  reproach. 

Stanton  called  Mr.  Mayhew  aside  and  the  two  gen 
tlemen  spoke  very  frankly  together. 

"  Ida  seems  even  more  concerned  about  you  than 
herself,"  said  Stanton  in  conclusion,  "  and  it  would 
kill  her,  as  she  now  feels,  if  you  should  give  way  to 
your  old  weakness  again.  She  fears  that  she  won't 


584  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

be  able  to  sustain  and  cheer  you  as  she  intended,  but 
I  told  her  that  we  would  both  stand  by  her  and  see 
her  through  her  trouble." 

"  I  understand  you,  Ik,"  said  Mr.  Mayhew,  quietly 
"  From  my  heart  I  thank  you  for  your  kindness  to 
Ida.  But  you  don't  understand  me.  I  had  a  deeper 
thirst  than  that  for  brandy,  and  when  my  child  gave 
me  her  love,  my  real  thirst  was  quenched,  and  the 
other  is  gone." 

"That's  noble;  we'll  pull  through  yet!"  Stanton 
resumed,  heartily.  "  Ida  and  I  got  our  supper  at  a 
village  inn — at  least,  we  went  through  the  motions — 
for  I  was  bound  no  one  should  have  a  chance  to  stare 
at  her  to-night." 

"  No  matter,"  said  her  father,  decisively.  "  I 
have  had  prepared  as  nice  a  supper  as  Mr.  Burleigh 
could  furnish,  and  I  shall  take  it  to  her  room.  She 
shall  see  that  she  is  not  forgotten." 

Ida  tried  to  eat  a  little  to  please  him,  but  she  soon 
came  and  sat  beside  him  on  her  sofa,  saying,  as  she 
buried  her  face  against  his  shoulder,  "  Father,  I 
shall  have  to  lean  very  hard  on  you  now." 

"  I  won't  fail  you,  Ida,"  was  the  gentle  and  simple 
reply,  but  they  understood  each  other  without  fur 
ther  words.  With  unspoken  sympathy  and  tender 
ness  he  tried  to  fill  the  place  her  mother  could  not, 
for  if  Mrs.  Mayhew  had  gained  any  knowledge  of 
Ida's  feelings,  she  would  have  had  a  great  deal  to 
say  on  the  subject  with  the  best  and  kindest  inten 
tions.  With  heavy  touch  she  would  try  to  examine 
and  heal  the  wound  twenty  times  a  day. 

Mr.   Mayhew    was  right    when    he    said    the    Van 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE.  585 

Bergs  were  a  proud  race,  and  this  trait  had  found  it? 
culmination,  perhaps,  in  the  hero  of  this  tale.  He 
was  justly  proud  of  his  old  and  unstained  name  ;  he 
was  proud  of  those  who  bore  it  with  him,  and  he 
honored  his  father  and  mother,  not  in  obedience  to  a 
command,  but  because  every  one  honored  them  ;  and 
if  his  sister  was  a  little  cold  and  stately,  she  embodied 
his  ideas  of  refinement  and  cultivation  ;  he  was  proud 
of  his  social  position,  of  his  talent — for  he  knew  he 
had  that  much,  at  least — and  of  the  recognition  he 
had  already  won  in  the  republic  of  art.  But  chief  of 
all  had  he  been  proud  of  his  unstained  manhood,  of 
the  honor,  which  he  believed  had  been  kept  unsullied 
until  this  miserable  day.  But  now,  as  he  strode 
away  in  the  moonlight,  he  found  himself  confronting 
certain  -facts  which  he  felt  he  could  never  explain  to 
any  one's  satisfaction,  not  even  his  own.  He  had 
openly  professed  to  love  a  poor  and  orphaned  girl, 
and  had  pledged  himself  to  win  her  if  he  could — to 
be  her  friend  till  he  could  become  far  more.  Even 
granting  that  she  still  looked  on  him  merely  as  a 
friend,  that  did  not  release  him.  It  was  while  pos 
sessing  the  distinct  knowledge  that  she  cherished  no 
warmer  feeling  that  he  had  made  the  pledge,  and 
though  she  might  not  be  able  or  willing  to-day  or  to 
morrow,  or  for  years  to  come,  to  give  up  a  past  love 
for  his  sake,  his  promise  required  that  he  should  pa 
tiently  woo  and  wait  till  she  could  bury  the  past  with 
her  old  lover,  and  receive,  at  his  hands,  the  future 
that  he  was  in  honor  bound  to  keep  within  her  reach. 
Of  course,  if,  after  the  lapse  of  years,  she  assured 
him  she  could  not  and  would  not  accept  of  his  hand 

25* 


586  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

in  marriage,  he  would  be  free,  but  he  had  scarcely 
waited  weeks  before  giving  his  love  to  another.  For 
aught  he  knew,  the  hope  of  happier  days,  which  he 
had  urged  upon  her,  might  be  already  stealing  into 
her  heart. 

It  gave  him  but  little  comfort  now  to  recognize 
the  fact  that  he  had  never  loved  Jennie  Burton — that 
he  had  never  known  what  the  word  meant  until 
swept  away  by  the  irresistible  tide  of  a  passion,  the 
power  of  which  already  appalled  him.  To  say  that 
he  did  not  feel  like  keeping  his  promise  now,  or  that 
his  feelings  had  changed,  he  knew  would  be  regarded 
as  an  excuse  beneath  contempt,  and  a  week  since  he 
himself  would  have  pronounced  the  most  merciless 
judgment  against  a  man  in  his  present  position. 

Before  the  vigil  of  that  night  was  over,  he  decided 
that  he  could  not  meet  either  Ida  Mayhew  or  Jennie 
Burton  again.  He  believed  that  Ida  understood  him 
only  too  well  now,  and  that  she  thoroughly  despised 
him.  Indeed,  from  her  manner  of  passing  him,  he 
doubted  whether  she  willingly  would  speak  to  him 
again,  for  her  veil  had  prevented  him  from  seeing  the 
pallor  and  traces  of  grief  which  she  was  so  anxious  to 
hide.  In  his  morbidly  sensitive  state,  it  seemed  a  de 
liberate  but  just  withdrawal  of  even  her  acquaintance. 
He  felt  that  the  brief  dream  of  Ida  Mayhew  was  over 
forever,  and  that  she  would  indeed  keep  the  priceless 
kingdom  of  her  heart  from  him  above  all  others. 
'He  believed  that  now,  after  her  conversation  with 
Stanton,  she  clearly  saw  that  the  absurdly  ardent 
friendship  he  had  urged  upon  her  was  only  the  in 
cipient  stage  of  a  new  passion  in  a  fickle  wretch  who 


FROM  DEEP  EXPERIENCE.  587 

had  dared  to  trifle  with  a  girl  like  Jennie  Burton — a 
maiden  that,  of  all  others  in  the  world,  a  man  of 
honor  would  shield. 

As  for  Miss  Burton  herself,  now  that  he  realized 
his  situation,  he  felt  that  he  could  never  look  her  in  the 
face  again.  To  try  to  resume  his  old  relations  seemed 
to  be  impossible.  He  never  had  and  never  could 
say  to  her  a  word  that  he  knew  was  insincere.  Be 
sides,  he  was  sure  that  such  an  effort  would  be  futile, 
for  she  would  detect  his  hollowness  at  once,  and  he 
feared  a  glance  of  scorn  from  her  blue  eyes  more  than 
the  lightning  of  heaven.  He  resolved  to  leave  the 
Lake  House  on  Monday,  and  from  New  York  write 
to  Miss  Burton  the  unvarnished  truth,  assuring  her 
that  he  knew  himself  to  be  unworthy  even  to  speak 
to  her  again.  Then,  as  soon  as  he  could  complete 
his  preparations,  he  would  go  abroad  and  give  him 
self  wholly  to  his  art. 

Having  come  to  these  conclusions,  he  stole  by  a 
side  entrance  like  a  guilty  shadow  to  his  room  and 
tried  to  obtain  such  rest  as  is  possible  to  those  who 
are  in  the  hell  of  mental  torment.  After  an  early 
breakfast  the  following  morning,  he  started  for  the 
mountains,  and  no  wild  beast  that  ever  roamed  them 
would  have  torn  him  more  pitilessly  than  did  his  own 
outraged  sense  of  honor  and  manhood.  He  returned 
late  in  the  evening,  weary  and  faint,  and  with  the  fur- 
tiveness  of  an  outlaw,  again  reached  his  room  without 
meeting  those  whom  he  so  wished  to  avoid.  After 
the  heavy,  unrefreshing  sleep  of  utter  exhaustion  he 
once  more  left  the  house  early,  with  his  sketch-book 
in  hand  to  disguise  his  purpose,  for  it  was  his  inten- 


588  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

tion  to  visit  the  old  garden  before  he  finally  left  the 
scenes  to  which  he  had  been  led  by  following  a  mere 
freak  of  fancy.  He  learned  from  one  of  Mr.  Eltinge's 
workmen  that  the  old  gentleman  would  be  absent 
from  home  the  entire  day,  and  thus  feeling  secure 
from  interruption,  he  entered  the  quiet,  shady  place 
in  which  had  begun  the  symphony  which  was  now 
ending  in  such  harsh  discord.  Seeing  that  he  was 
alone  he  threw  himself  into  the  rustic  seat,  and  bury 
ing  his  face  in  his  hands,  soon  became  unconscious 
of  the  lapse  of  time  in  his  painful  revery. 


AN  ILLUMINED   FACE. 


589 


CHAPTER   LII. 

AN  ILLUMINED   FACE. 

IDA'S  expression  and  manner  when  she  came 
down  to  breakfast  on  Sabbath  morning,  re 
minded  Miss  Burton  of  the  time  when  the  poor 
girl  believed  that  the  man  she  loved,  both  despised 
and  misjudged  her.  And  yet  there  was  a  vital  dif 
ference.  Then  she  was  icy  and  defiant  ;  now,  with 
all  and  more  than  the  old  sadness,  there  was  an  aspect 
of  humility  and  gentleness  which  had  never  been  seen 
in  former  times,  but  the  woman  who  would  have  been 
so  glad  to  cheer  her  and  remove  all  misunderstand 
ings  found  that  she  was  absolutely  unapproachable 
except  by  a  sort  of  social  violence  of  which  Jennie 
Burton  was  not  capable.  Ida's  effort — which  was 
but  partially  successful — to  be  brave  and  even  cheer 
ful  for  her  father's  sake,  caused  Mr.  Mayhew  more 
than  once  to  go  away  by  himself  in  order  to  hide  his 
feelings.  Mrs.  Mayhew  became  more  and  more  mys 
tified  and  uncomfortable.  She  had  enjoyed,  in  her 
cold-blooded  way,  a  tranquil,  gossipy  week  during 
her  daughter's  and  husband's  absence,  but  now  she 
felt  as  if  some  kind  of  a  domestic  convulsion'might 
occur  any  moment. 

"  I  don't  see  why  people  have  to  make  such  a  fuss 


590  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

over  life,''  she  complained.  "  If  they  would  only  do 
what  was  stylish,  proper  and  religious  they  wouldn't 
have  any  trouble,"  and  the  strong  and  not  wholly  re 
pressed  feeling  of  Ida  and  her  father,  of  which  she 
was  uncomfortably  conscious,  seemed  to  her  absurd 
and  uncalled  for.  Like  the  majority  of  matter-of-fact 
people,  she  had  no  patience  or  charity  for  emotion  or 
deep  regret.  "  Do  the  proper  thing  under  the  cir 
cumstances  and  let  that  end  the  matter,"  was  one  of 
her  favorite  sayings. 

Stanton  learned  from  Mr.  Burleigh  that  Van  Berg 
had  gone  on  a  mountain  tramp,  and,  when  he  told 
Ida,  hope  whispered  to  her,  "  If  he  loved  Jennie 
Burton  or  felt  that  he  could  return  to  her  side,  he 
would  not  do  that  after  his  long  absence." 

But  when  he  did  not  return  to  supper  she  began 
to  droop  and  become  pale  like  a  flower  growing  in 
too  dense  a  shade.  She  was  glad  when  the  intermi 
nable  day  came  to  an  end  and  she  could  shut  herself 
away  from  every  one,  for  there  are  wounds  which  the 
heart  would  hide  even  from  the  eyes  of  love  and  sym 
pathy.  It  had  been  arranged  during  the  day  that 
Mr.  Mayhew  should  find  another  place  at  which  to 
spend  his  vacation,  and  that  as  early  in  the  week 
as  possible  Stanton  should  take  his  wife  and  daughter 
thither. 

When  at  last  poor  Ida  slept  she  dreamt  that  she 
was  sailing  on  a  beautiful  yacht  with  silver  canvas 
and  crimson  flags — that  Van  Berg  stood  at  her  side 
pointing  to  a  lovely  island  which  they  were  rapidly 
approaching.  Then  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  swept 
her  overboard  and  she  was  sinking,  sinking  till  the 


AN  ILLUMINED  FACE.  591 

waters  became  so  cold  and  dark  that  she  awoke  with 
a  cry  of  terror.  "  Oh,"  she  sobbed,  "  my  dream  is 
true  !  my  dream  is  true  !  " 

Mr.  Mayhew  returned  to  the  city  in  the  morning, 
leaving  his  daughter  very  reluctantly,  and  Ida,  as 
early  as  possible,  set  out  again  in  the  low  phaeton  to 
visit  Mr.  Eltinge,  for  never  before  had  she  felt  a 
greater  need  of  his  counsel  and  help.  Tears  came 
into  her  eyes  when  informed  of  his  absence.  "  Every 
thing  is  against  me,"  she  murmured  ;  but  she  decided 
to  spend  some  time  in  the  garden  before  she  returned. 
She  had  almost  reached  the  rustic  seat  when  a  turn 
in  the  walk  revealed  that  it  was  occupied.  Her  first 
impulse  was  to  retreat  hastily,  but  observing  that 
Van  Berg  had  not  heard  her  light  step,  she  hesitated. 
Then,  his  attitude  of  utter  dejection  so  won  her  sym 
pathy  that  she  could  not  leave  him  without  speaking, 
for  she  remembered  how  sorely  in  need  she  once  had 
been  of  a  reassuring  word.  Moreover,  her  heart  said 
"  Speak  to  him;"  hope  cried,  "Stay;"  and  her 
temptation  to  win  him  if  possible,  right  or  wrong, 
sprang  up  with  tenfold  power  and  whispered  :  "  The 
man  whom  Jennie  Burton  welcomed  so  cordially 
Saturday  evening  would  not  wear  this  aspect  if  he 
had  the  power  to  return  readily  to  her  side  again." 
Still  she  hesitated  and  found  it  almost  as  hard  to  ob 
tain  words  or  courage  now  as  when  she  saw  him 
pulling  apart  the  worm-eaten  rosebud.  At  last  she 
faltered  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  are  you  ill  ?  " 

He  started  to  his  feet  with  a  dazed  look  and  passed 
his  hand  across  his  brow — the  same  gesture  she  so 


592  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

well  remembered  seeing  him  make  at  the  close  of  the 
happy  evening  he  had  spent  at  her  home.  As  he 
realized  that  the  maiden  before  him  was  flesh  and 
blood,  and  not  a  creation  of  his  morbid  fancy,  the 
hot  blood  rushed  swiftly  into  his  face,  and  his  eyes 
fell  before  her. 

"  Yes,  Miss  Mayhew,  I  am,"  he  said,  briefly. 

"  I  am  very  sorry.  Can  I  not  do  anything  for 
you  ?  "  she  asked,  kindly. 

He  looked  up  at  her  in  strong  surprise,  and  was 
still  more  perplexed  by  the  sympathetic  expression 
of  her  face,  but  he  only  said,  "  I  regret  to  say  you 
cannot." 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  said  Ida,  intones  full  of  distress, 
"  your  words  and  appearance  pain  me  exceedingly. 
You  look  as  if  you  had  been  ill  a  month.  What  has 
happened  ?  "  His  aspect  might  trouble  one  less  in 
terested  in  him  than  herself,  for  his  eyes  were  blood 
shot,  and  he  had  become  so  haggard  that  she  could 
scarcely  realize  that  he  was  the  man  who  but  four 
days  previous  had  compared  "his  hearty  merriment 
with  the  "laughter  of  the  gods." 

"  Miss  Mayhew,"  he  said,  bitterly  and  slowly,  too, 
as  if  he  were  carefully  choosing  his  words,  "  you 
had  a  presentiment  last  Saturday  that  some  evil  was 
about  to  happen.  As  far  as  I  am  concerned  the 
worst  has  happened.  I  have  lost  my  self-respect. 
I  have  no  right  to  stand  here  in  your  presence,  I 
have  no  right  to  be  in  this  place  even.  I  once  tossed 
away  a  little  flower  that  had  been  sadly  marred, 
through  no  fault  of  its  own,  and  as  I  did  so  I  said  in 
my  pride  and  self-complacency  that  its  imperfection 


AN  ILLUMINED  FACE. 

justified  my  act.  You  understood  me  well,  and  my 
accursed  Phariseeism  wounded  your  very  heart. 
You  afterwards  generously  forgave  my  offence  and 
a  worse  one,  but  God  is  just  and  I  am  now  punished 
in  the  severest  possible  way.  I  perceive  now  that  you. 
do  not  understand  me,  or  you  could  not  look  and 
speak  so  kindly.  I  thought  you  had  learned  me 
better,  for  you  spoke  words  on  the  boat  that  pierced 
my  very  soul,  revealing  me  to  myself,  and  later  you 
passed  me  without  a  glance.  You  were  right  in  both 
instances.  You  are  wrong  now,  and  I  shall  not  take 
advantage  of  your  present  ignorance,  which  circum 
stances  will  soon  remove.  I  repeat  it,  Miss  Mayhew, 
I  have  no  right  to  be  here  and  speaking  to  you,  and 
yet" — he  made  a  passionate  and  despairing  gesture, 
and  was  about  to  turn  hastily  away,  when  Ida  said, 
earnestly,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  his  face,  as  was  her 
instinctive  custom  when  she  sought  to  learn  more 
from  the  expression  of  the  speaker  than  from  his 
words  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  before  we  part,  answer  me  one 
question.  Have  you  deliberately  and  selfishly  in 
tended  to  do  wrong,  or  to  wrong  any  one  ?  " 

"  No,"  he  promptly  replied  meeting,  her  searching 
look  unhesitatingly.  Then,  with  an  impatient  ges 
ture,  he  added  :  "  But  no  one  will  ever  believe  it." 

"  I  believe  it,"  she  said,  with  a  reassuring  smile. 

"  You  ?  You  of  all  others  ?  But  you  are  talking 
at  random,  Miss  Mayhew.  When  you  learn  the 
truth  you  will  look  and  speak  very  differently.  And 
you  shall  learn  it  now.  You  once  told  me  of  a 
wicked  and  desperate  purpose  to  which  you  were 


594  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

driven  by  the  wrong  of  others.  Your  sin  seems  to 
me  a  deed  of  light  compared  with  the  act  I  have 
been  led  to  commit,  under  the  guidance  of  my  proud 
reason,  my  superior  judgment,  my  cool,  well-bal 
anced  nature — infernally  cool  it  was,  indeed  !  Par-, 
don  me,  but  I  am  beside  myself  with  rage  and  self- 
loathing.  True,  I  have  not  been  intentionally  false, 
but  there  are  circumstances  in  which  folly,  weakness, 
and  stupid  blundering  are  nearly  as  bad,  and  the  re 
sults  quite  as  bad.  What  can  you  say  of  the  man 
who  pays  open  suit  and  makes  a  distinct  offer  and 
pledge  to  a  lady,  and  then  retreats  from  that  suit  and 
breaks  that  pledge,  and  through  no  fault  whatever  in 
the  lady  herself?  What  can  you  say  of  that  man 
when  the  lady  is  a  poor  and  orphaned  girl,  whom 
any  one  with  a  spark  of  honor  would  shield  with  his 
life,  but  that  he  is  a  base,  fickle  wretch,  who  deserves 
the  contempt  of  all  good  men  and  women,  and  that 
he  ought  to  be — as  he  shall  be — a  vagabond  on  the 
face  of  the  earth  ?  " 

Ida  had  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  as  she  learned 
how  thoroughly  Van  Berg  had  committed  himself  to 
Miss  Burton,  and  the  artist  concluded,  abruptly  : 
"  One  thing  is  certain,  he  has  no  right  to  be  here.  I 
shall  not  wait  and  see  your  look  of  scorn,  or — worse 
— of  pity,  for  I  could  not  endure  it,"  and  he  snatched 
up  his  sketch-book  and  was  about  to  hasten  from  the 
place,  when  Ida  sprang  forward  and  said  passion 
ately  : 

"  Wait.  This  is  all  wrong.  Answer  me  this — 
when  you  discovered  the  awful  crime,  which  in  heart 
I  had  already  committed,  how  did  you  treat  me  ?  " 


AN  ILLUMINED  FACE.  595 

"  Your  purpose  was  wicked,  but  not  base." 

"  You  have  not  intended  to  be  either  base  or 
wicked,"  she  began. 

"  Hush  !"  he  interrupted  sternly,  "  you  shall  not 
palliate  my  weakness  by  smooth  words,  and  to  a  man, 
weakness  and  stupidity,  in  some  circumstances,  are 
more  contemptible  than  crime.  Oh,  how  I  envy 
Stanton  !  His  course  has  been  straightforward,  no 
ble,  regal — I  have  acted  like  one  of  the  canaille ." 

"  You  deeply  regret  then,  that  your  feelings  have 
so  changed  towards  Miss  Burton  ?  "  said  Ida,  with 
her  eyes  again  fastened  upon  his  face. 

"  I  do  not  think  my  feelings  have  changed  towards 
her,"  he  replied;  "she  is  admirable,  perfect,  and  I 
honor  her  from  the  depths  of  my  heart.  Don't  you 
see  ?  I  mistook  my  deep  respect,  sympathy,  and 
admiration  for  something  more,  and  I  smiled  com 
placently  in  my  superior  way  and  flattered  myself 
that  it  was  in  this  eminently  well-bred  and  rational 
manner  that  Harold  Van  Berg  would  pay  his  ad 
dresses  to  a  lady,  and  that  Stanton's  absorbing  pas 
sion  was  only  the  result  of  an  ungoverned,  unbal 
anced  nature — accursed  prig  that  I  was  !  While  in 
this  very  complacent  and  superior  condition  of  mind 
I  committed  myself  to  a  course  that  I  cannot  carry 
out,  and  yet  my  failure  to  do  so  slays  my  honor  and 
self-respect.  Now,  I  have  been  as  explicit  with  you 
as  you  were  with  me,  and  with  what  you  have  seen 
yourself,  you  know  the  whole  miserable  truth.  By  a 
strange  fate  we  who  only  met  a  few  months  since 
have  come  to  share  in  common,  very  sad  knowl 
edge.  The  memory  of  your  own  past,  and,  I  sup 


596  *   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

pose,  your  Christian  faith  also,  have  made  you  very 
merciful  and  generous,  but  I  shall  tax  these  qualities 
no  further." 

"  What  will  you  do,  Mr.  Van  Berg  ?  "  Ida  asked, 
in  sudden  dread. 

"  I  shall  never  look  Miss  Burton  in  the  face  again, 
and  after  I  have  written  to  her  simply  and  briefly 
what  I  have  told  you,  her  regret  will  be  small  indeed. 
Good-by,  Miss  May  hew.  If  I  stay  any  longer  I  may 
speak  words  to  you  that  would  be  insults,  coming 
from  me." 

"  Stay,"  she  said,  earnestly,  "  I  have  something 
very  important  to  say  to  you." 

He  hesitated  and  looked  at  her  in  strong  surprise. 

((  Give  me  a  few  moments  to  think,"  she  pleaded, 
and  he  saw,  from  the  quick  rise  and  fall  of  her  bosom 
and  the  nervous  clasp  of  her  hands,  that  she  was 
deeply  agitated.  She  turned  from  him  and  looked 
wistfully  at  the  young  tree  on  which  she  had  in 
scribed  her  name  the  day  she  had  promised  Mr.  El- 
tinge  to  receive  all  heavenly  influences  and  guidance. 
She  soon  lifted  her  eyes  above  the  tree  and  her  lips 
moved  in  as  earnest  prayer  as  ever  came  from  a 
human  heart.  She  was  facing  the  sorest  temptation 
of  her  life,  for  she  had  only  to  be  silent  now,  she  be 
lieved,  and  the  success  of  her  efforts  to  win  him  from 
Jennie  Burton  would  be  complete.  If  left  to  himself 
in  this  wild,  distracted  mood  he  would  indeed  break 
every  tie  that  bound  him  to  her  rival  ;  but  after  time 
had  blunted  his  poignant  self-condemnation  he  would 
inevitably  come  back  to  her.  Then  conscience 
whispered:  "Who  forgave  you  here?  What  did 


AN  ILLUMINED  FACE. 


597 


you  promise  here  ?  What  does  that  tree  mean  with 
its  branches  reaching  out  towards  heaven  ?  What 
would  you  think  of  Jennie  Burton  were  she  trying  to 
win  him  from  you  ?  " 

"  O  Friend  of  the  weak  !  be  thou  my  strength  in 
this  moment  of  desperate  need,"  she  sighed. 

Van  Berg  watched  her  with  increasing  wonder,  and 
his  heart  beat  thick  and  fast  as  she  at  last  turned  to 
him  with  an  expression  such  as  he  never  had  seen 
before  on  a  human  face.  Was  it  the  autumn  sunlight 
that  illumined  her  features?  He  learned  eventually 
that  it  was  the  spiritual  radiance  of  the  noblest  self- 
sacrifice  of  which  a  woman  is  capable. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  in  tones  that  were 
quiet  and  firm,  "  please  take  Mr.  Eltinge's  seat,  for  I 
wish  to  speak  to  you  as  a  friend." 

He  obeyed  mechanically,  without  removing  his 
eyes  from  her  face. 

"  I  once  took  counsel  of  passion  and  despair,"  she 
resumed,  "  and  you  know  what  might  have  resulted, 
but  on  this  spot  God  forgave  me  and  I  promised  to  try 
to  do  right.  With  shame  I  confess  I  have  not  fully 
kept  that  promise,  but  I  shall  try  to  do  so  hereafter, 
be  the  consequences  what  they  may.  Pardon  me  for 
speaking  so  plainly,  but  you  are  now  taking  counsel 
of  passion  and  turning  your  back  on  duty.  While 
almost  insane  from  self-reproach  and  wounded  pride 
you  are  taking  steps  that  may  blast  your  own  life 
and  the  lives  of  others.  To  my  mind  there  is  an  in 
finite  distance  between  the  error  you  naturally  fell 
into  in  view  of  Miss  Burton's  loveliness  of  character 
and  any  base  intent,  but  even  if  I  should  share  in 


598  A  FACE    ILLUMINED. 

your  harsh  judgment — which  I  never  can — I  would 
still  say  that  you  cannot  help  the  past,  and  you  are 
now  bound  by  all  that's  sacred  to  ask  only  what  is 
right,  and  to  do  that  at  every  cost  to  yourself.  You 
are  pledged  to  Miss  Burton,  and  you  must  make  good 
your  pledge." 

"What!  I  go  to  that  snow-white  maiden  with  a 
lie  on  my  lips  !  "  he  exclaimed  indignantly. 

"  No  !  go  to  her  with  truth  on  your  lips  and  in 
your  heart,  except  as  in  unselfish  loyalty  to  her  and 
to  your  word  you  may  hide  some  truth  that  would 
give  her  pain.  Mr.  Van  Berg,  your  word  is  pledged. 
You  have  won  her  love  and  this  is  your  only  honor 
able  course.  Thus  far  you  have  not  done  her  in 
tentional  wrong,  but  if  you  rush  away  from  duty 
now  in  cowardly  flight  you  will  do  her  a  bitter  and 
fatal  wrong,  for  she  loves  you  as  only  few  women  can 
love.  She  has  grown  wan  and  pale  in  your  absence, 
and  it  touched  me  to  the  heart  to  see  her  yesterday, 
though  she  made  such  brave  efforts  to  be  cheerful  and 
to  encourage  father.  O  God,  forgive  me  that  I — Go 
to  her  when  you  have  become  calm — your -true  self. 
Love  like  hers  will  take  what  you  can  give  till  you 
can  give  more,  and  surely  one  so  lovely  will  soon  win 
all.  If  ever  I  have  seen  human  idolatry  in  any  face 
it  has  been  in  hers,  and  she  will  soon  banish  all  this 
wild  passion  from  your  mind.  But  be  that  as  it  may 
you  must  keep  your  word  if  you  would  keep  my  re 
spect,  and  I  would  not  lose  my  respect  for  you  for 
the  world.  I  know  you  too  well  to  doubt  but  that  you 
will  take  up  this  sacred  duty  and  seek  to  perform  it 
with  the  whole  strength  of  your  manhood." 


AN  ILLUMINED  FACE.  599 

Never  for  a  moment  had  Van  Berg  removed  his  eyes 
from  Ida's  face,  and  her  words  and  manner  seemed 
both  to  awe  and  control  him.  As  she  spoke,  his  ex 
pression  became  quiet  and  strong,  and  when  she  con 
cluded  he  came  to  her  side  and  said  earnestly  : 

"  Miss  Mayhew,  since  it  is  still  possible,  I  will  keep 
your  respect,  for  it  is  absolutely  essential  to  me.  God 
has  indeed  given  you  a  woman's  soul,  and  he  never 
made  a  nobler  w-oman.  You  are  a  friend  in  truth  and 
not  in  name,  and  you  have  saved  me  from  madly 
destroying  my  own  future,  and  perhaps  the  future  of 
others,  which  is  of  far  more  consequence.  If  I  fail 
in  obeying  both  the  letter  and  spirit  of  your  words  it 
will  be  because  I  cannot  help  myself." 

Her  face,  which  had  been  so  sweet  and  luminous 
with  her  generous  impulse  and  noble  thoughts,  was 
growing  very  pale  now,  but  she  rose  and  gave  him 
her  hand,  saying  with  a  faint  smile  that  was  like  the 
fading  light  of  evening,  "  I  knew  you  would  not  dis 
appoint  me  ;  I  was  sure  you  were  worthy  of  my 
trust.  Let  the  honest  right  be  our  motto  henceforth, 
and  all  will  be  well  some  day.  Good-by." 

He  pressed  her  hand  in  both  of  his  as  he  said  fer 
vently,  "  God  bless  you,  Ida  Mayhew  !  "  Then  he 
turned  and  hastened  away,  flying  from  his  own  weak 
ness  and  a  womanly  loveliness  which  at  that  moment 
far  excelled  any  ideal  he  had  ever  formed. 

He  had  scarcely  reached  the  road  before  he  re 
membered  that  he  had  left  his  sketch-book,  and  he 
went  back  for  it,  but  as  he  turned  th?  corner  of  the 
shady  path  he  stopped  instantly.  The  strong,  clear- 
eyed  maiden,  who  had  rallied  the  forces  of  his  shat- 


6oo  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

tered  manhood,  and  given  him  the  vantage-ground 
again  in  life's  battle,  had  bowed  her  head  on  the  arm 
of  the  rustic  seat  and  was  sobbing  convulsively.  In 
deed,  her  grief  was  so  uncontrollable  and  passionate 
that  in  his- very  soul  he  trembled  before  it. 

"  Oh,  Jennie  Burton,"  she  moaned,  "  it  would  have 
been  easier  for  me  to  die  for  you  than  to  give  him 
up.  'God  help  him — God  help  me  through  the  dread 
ful  years  to  come  !  " 

His  first  impulse  was  to  spring  to  her  side,  but  he 
hesitated,  and  then  with  a  gesture  and  look  of  in 
finite  regret  he  turned  and  stole  silently  away. 


A   NIGHTS  VIGIL. 


CHAPTER   LIII. 
A  NIGHT'S  VIGIL. 

AS  Van  Berg  left  Mr.  Eltinge's  grounds  he  had 
the  aspect  of  a  man  who  had  seen  a  vision. 
He  had  seen  more,  for  the  human  face  expressive  of 
absolute,  even  though  brief,  mastery  over  evil  is  a 
nobler  object  than  can  be  the  serene  visage  of  a  sin 
less  and  untempted  angel. 

At  last  he  understood  Ida  Mayhew.  If  he  had 
deeply  honored  her  when  he  supposed  that  as  a  sin 
cere,  honest  friend  only  she  had  spoken  her  strong, 
true  words,  which  might  save  him  from  wrecking  his 
life  from  impulses  of  shame  and  wounded  pride,  how 
instantaneously  was  this  honor  changed  into  reverence 
and  wonder  as  he  recognized  her  self-sacrifice  at  the 
dictates  of  conscience.  All  was  now  perfectly  clear. 
The  truth  of  her  love  had  flashed  out  from  the  dark 
cloud  of  her  passionate  grief,  and  in  its  white  ra 
diance  all  the  baffling  mystery  of  her  past  action  was 
dissipated  instantly.  Now  he  knew  why  the  brilliant 
music  at  the  concert  garden  could  not  brighten  her 
face,  and  the  end  of  the  symphony  saw  her  in  tears. 
Now  he  understood  why  she  could  not  be  Jennie 
Burton's  friend,  even  though  capable  of  becoming  a 
martyr  for  her  sake  from  a  sense  of  duty.  The 
26 


6O2  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

despairing  farewell  letter  she  had  once  written  to 
him  now  became  fraught  with  a  deeper  meaning, 
and  he  saw  that  in  throwing  away  the  imperfect  rose 
bud,  and  in  looking  at  her  as  a  creature  akin  to 
Sibley,  he  had  inflicted  mortal  wounds  on  a  heart 
that  gave  him  only  love  in  return.  In  her  desperate 
effort  to  conceal  an  unsought  love  she  had  sought 
the  nearest  covert,  and  the  stains  Sibley  had  left 
upon  her  were  no  more  hers  than  if  he  had  been  a 
blackened  wall.  After  all  her  woman's  soul  had 
come  to  her  as  in  the  old  and  simple  times  when 
even  water  nymphs  had  hearts,  and  love  was  still  the 
mightiest  force  in  the  universe. 

His  feeling  now  was  far  too  deep  for  his  former 
half-frenzied  excitement.  There  was  not  a  trace  of 
exultation  in  his  manner,  and  there  was  indeed  no 
ground  for  rapture.  Only  the  knowledge  that  he 
carried  away  her  respect,  and  that  he  was  going  to 
the  performance  of  what  he  believed  a  sacred  duty, 
kept  him  from  despair. 

He  did  not  blame  himself  as  bitterly  as  might 
have  been  supposed  that  he  had  not  discovered  her 
secret  earlier,  and  it  increased  his  admiration  for 
her,  if  that  were  possible,  that  she  had  so  carefully 
maintained  her  maidenly  reserve.  A  conceited  man, 
or  at  least  a  man  whose  soul  was  infested  with  the 
meanest  kind  of  conceit — that  of  imagining  that  the 
woman  who  gives  him  a  friendly  word  or  smile  is 
disposed  to  throw  herself  into  his  arms — would  no 
doubt  have  surmised  her  secret  before  ;  but  although 
Van  Berg  was  intensely  proud,  as  we  have  seen,  and 
had  been  rendered  self-complacent  and  self-confident 


A   NIGHT'S  VIGIL. 

by  the  circumstances  of  his  lot,  he  had  none  of  this 
contemptible  vanity.  The  discovery  of  Ida's  love 
caused  him  far  greater  surprise  than  when  he  recog 
nized  his  own,  and  it  was  a  source  of  deep  satisfac 
tion  to  him  that  this  modern  and  conventional  Undine 
had  received  a  nature  of  such  true  and  womanly  deli 
cacy  that  it  had  led  her  to  conceal  her  love  like  the 
trailing-arbutus  that  hides  its  fragrant  blossoms  under 
fallen  leaves. 

The  light  had  been  so  clear  that  he  even  saw  the 
temptation  which  he  unconsciously  had  suggested  to 
her  while  in  the  city.  Unlike  the  little  violet  that 
weakly  bowed  its  head  and  died  because  the  brook 
would  not  stop,  she  had  resolutely  set  about  the  task 
of  making  him  stop,  and  yet  never  let  him  suspect 
that  she  was  even  looking  at  him.  Hence  her  at 
tempt  to  penetrate  the  wilderness  of  knowledge  which 
was  at  once  so  pathetic  and  comical ;  hence  also  her 
wish  to  learn  the  authors  and  subjects  which  interested 
him. 

"  And  she  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  she 
might  have  won  me  from  the  one  honorable  allegiance 
I  can  give,"  he  exclaimed,  in  deep  humiliation,  "  and 
probably  she  would  have  done  so  eventually  had  she 
not  acted  like  a  saint  rather  than  a  woman.  I've 
lost  faith  utterly  in  Harold  Van  Berg,  and  it  will  re 
quire  a  good  many  years  to  regain  it." 

When  he  reached  a  dense  tract  of  woodland  through 
which  the  road  ran,  he  concealed  himself  and  waited 
till  she  should  pass.  Two  hours  elapsed  before  she 
did  so.  The  passionate  grief  that  had  overwhelmed 
her  was  no  slight  and  passing  gust.  He  saw  that  she 


604  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

leaned  back  weakly  and  languidly  in  the  phaeton, 
and  had  hidden  her  face  by  a  vail  of  double 
thickness.  He  followed  her  at  a  distance  far  too 
great  for  recognition  until  she  entered  the  hotel,  and 
then  sought  to  obtain  a  little  rest  and  food  at  the 
nearest  village  inn,  for  he  found  that  now  his  fierce 
paroxysm  of  rage  and  mental  torment  was  over,  he 
had  become  very  faint  and  exhausted.  After  he  had 
regained  somewhat  the  power  to  think  and  act,  he 
turned  his  steps  towards  a  narrow,  secluded  ravine, 
about  a  mile  from  the  hotel,  knowing  that  here  he 
would  find  the  deepest  solitude  in  which  to  grow 
calm  and  prepare  himself  for  the  quiet  self-sacrifice  of 
which  Ida  had  given  the  example,  and  which  no  eye 
must  be  able  to  detect  save  his  to  whom  the  secrets 
of  all  hearts  are  open. 

He  made  no  effort  to  follow  any  path,  but  sprang 
carelessly  and  rapidly  down  the  steep  hillside. 
When  he  had  almost  reached  the  bottom  of  the 
ravine,  his  foot  slipped  on  a  rock  half  hidden  by 
leaves,  and  he  fell  and  rolled  helplessly  down.  Be 
fore  he  could  recover  himself,  the  rock,  which  had 
been  loosely  imbedded  in  the  soil  and  which  his  foot 
had  struck  so  heavily,  rolled  after  him  and  on  his  leg 
and  foot.  In  sudden  and  increasing  dismay,  he  found 
that  he  could  not  extricate  himself.  The  stone  would 
have  been  almost  beyond  his  ability  to  lift  even  if  he 
had  the  full  use  of  all  his  powers  ;  but  he  was  held  in 
a  position  that  gave  him  very  little  chance  to  exert 
his  strength. 

When  he  found  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  to 
push  the  stone  away,  he  tried  to  excavate  the  earth, 


A   NIGHTS  VIGIL.  605 

by  means  of  sticks  and  his  small  pocket-knife,  from 
under  his  leg,  but  soon  found,  with  a  sense  of  mortal 
fear,  that  his  limb  was  resting  in  a  little  depression  be 
tween  two  other  large  rocks  deeply  imbedded  in  the 
bottom  of  the  ravine.  This  depression,  and  the  soft, 
dry  leaves  which  had  covered  it  like  a  cushion,  pre 
vented  the  stone  from  crushing  his  limb  and  foot,  but 
also  held  him  in  a  sort  of  natural  stock. 

As  these  appalling  facts  became  clear,  he  saw  that 
he  was  in  imminent  danger  of  death  by  starvation. 
Then  a  worse  fear  than  that  chilled  his  very  soul. 
He  might  die  in  that  lonely  spot  and  never  be  dis 
covered.  The  prowling  vermin  of  the  night  might 
tear  away  his  flesh,  and  drag  his  bones  hither  and 
thither  till  the  leaves  that  now  soon  would  fall  covered 
them  forever  from  sight  and  knowledge  ;  but  Ida 
Mayhew,  and  the  orphan  girl  to  whom  his  honor 
bound  him,  would  think  that  he  had  broken  his 
pledges,  and  was  in  truth  a  vagabond  on  the  earth- 
eating  and  drinking,  rioting,  perhaps,  in  ignoble  ob 
scurity.  The  prospect  made  him  sick  and  faint  for  a 
time,  for  that  which  in  his  first  blind  sense  of  shame 
he  had  proposed  to  do,  now  that  he  had  heard  Ida's 
heaven-inspired  words,  seemed  base  and  cowardly  to 
the  last  degree.  If  she  had  not  brought  to  him  sane 
and  quiet  thought,  he  would  have  grimly  said  to  him 
self  that  fate  had  taken  him  out  of  his  dilemma  in  a 
fitting  way,  punishing  and  destroying  him  at  one  and 
the  same  time  ;  but  now  to  die  and  forever  seem  un 
worthy  of  the  trust  of  the  woman  he  so  loved  and 
revered  was  a  kind  of  eternal  punishment  in  itself. 
He  called  and  shouted  with  desperate  energy  for  aid, 


606  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

but  the  freshening  wind  of  early  September  rustled 
millions  of  leaves  in  the  forest  around  him  and 
drowned  his  voice.  He  soon  realized  that  one  stand 
ing  on  the  bank  just  above  him  would  scarcely  be 
able  to  hear,  even  though  listening.  Oh,  why  would 
that  remorseless  wind  blow  so  steadily  !  Wa,s  there 
no  pity  in  nature  ? 

Then  in  frenzy  he  struggled  and  wrenched  his  leg 
till  it  was  bruised  and  bleeding,  but  the  rocky  grip 
would  not  yield.  He  soon  began  to  consider  that  he 
was  exhausting  himself  and  thus  lessening  his  chances 
of  escape,  and  he  lay  quietly  on  his  side  and  tried  to 
think  how  long  he  could  survive,  and  now  deeply  re 
gretted  that  his  wild  passion  for  the  past  two  days 
had  drawn  so  largely  on  his  vital  powers.  Already, 
after  but  an  hour's  durance,  he  was  weak  and  faint. 

Then  various  expedients  to  attract  attention  began 
to  present  themselves.  By  means  of  a  stick  he  drew 
down  the  overhanging  branch  of  a  tree  and  tied  to 
it  his  handkerchief.  He  also  managed  to  insert  a 
stick  in  the  ground  near  him,  and  on  its  top  placed 
his  hat,  but  he  saw  that  they  could  not  be  seen 
through  the  thick  undergrowth  at  any  great  distance. 
Then  more  deliberately,  and  with  an  effort  to  econo 
mize  his  strength,  he  again  attempted  to  undermine 
the  rocks  on  which  his  leg  rested,  but  found  that  they 
ran  under  him  and  hopelessly  deep.  At  intervals 
he  would  shout  for  help,  but  his  cries  grew  fainter  as 
he  became  weak  and  discouraged. 

"  O  God,"  he  said,  "  there  is  just  the  bare  chance 
that  some  one  may  stumble  upon  me,  and  that  is  all ;  " 
and  as  the  glen  fell  into  deeper  and  deeper  shadow 


A   NIGHTS  VIGIL.  6o/ 

in  the  declining  day,  even  more  swiftly  it  seemed  to 
him  that  the  shadow  of  death  was  darkening  about 
him. 

At  last  the  bark  of  squirrels  and  the  chirp  and  twit 
ter  of  birds  that  haunted  the  lonely  place  ceased  and 
it  was  night.  Only  the  notes  of  fall  insects  in  their 
monotonous  and  ceaseless  iteration  were  heard  above 
the  sighing  wind,  which  now  sounded  like  a  requiem 
to  the  disheartened  man.  Suddenly  a  great  owl 
flapped  heavily  over  him,  and  lighting  in  a  tree  near 
by,  began  its  discordant  hootings. 

u  That's  an  omen  of  death,"  he  muttered,  grimly. 
Then  at  last,  in  uncontrollable  irritation,  he  shouted, 
"Curse  you,  begone!"  and  the  ill-boding  bird 
flapped  away  with  a  startled  screech,  that  to  Van 
Berg's  morbid  fancy  was  like  a  demon's  laugh.  But 
it  alighted  again  a  little  further  off  and  drove  him  half 
wild  with  its  dismal  cries.  At  last  there  was  a  radi 
ance  among  the  trees  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  ravine, 
and  soon  the  moon  rose  clear  and  bright ;  the  wind 
went  down,  and  except  the  "  audible  silence  "  of  in 
sect  sounds  all  was  still.  Nature  seemed  to  him  hold 
ing  her  breath  in  suspense,  waiting  for  the  end.  He 
called  out  from  time  to  time  till,  from  the  lateness  of 
the  hour,  he  knew  that  it  was  utterly  useless. 

He  began,  in  a  dreamy  way,  to  wonder  if  Ida  had 
missed  him  yet  and  was  surprised  that  he  had  not  re 
turned.  He  thought  how  strange,  how  unaccount 
able  even,  his  conduct  must  appear  to  Miss  Burton, 
and  how  very  difficult  it  would  have  been  to  explain 
it  at  best.  "  Ida  is  wrong,  however,  in  thinking  that 
it  is  for  me  that  she  is  grieving  so  deeply,"  he  mur- 


6o8  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

mured,  "  although  she  may  be  right  in  believing  that 
I  have  raised  hopes  rn  Jennie's  mind  of  a  happier 
future,  when  time  had  healed  the  wounds  made  in 
the  past.  If  I  had  lived,  if  by  any  happy  chance  I 
do  live,  my  only  course  will  be  to  maintain  the 
character  of  a  friend  until  she  gives  up  the  past  for 
the  sake  of  what  I  can  offer.  In  a  certain  sense  we 
will  be  on  an  equal  footing,  for  her  lover  is  dead  and 
my  love  is  the  same  as  dead  to  me.  But  what  is  the 
use  of  such  thoughts  !  I  shall  be  dead  to  them  both  in 
a  few  hours  more,  and  what  is  far  worse,  despised  by 
them  both,"  and  for  the  first  time  in  all  that  awful 
vigil  bitter  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks. 

Then,  slowly  and  minutely,  he  went  over  all  that 
had  occurred  during  that  eventful  summer.  He 
found  a  melancholy  pleasure  which  served  to  beguile 
the  interminable  hours  of  pain— for  now  his  leg  and 
unnatural  position  began  to  cause  very  severe  suffer 
ing — in  portraying  to  himself  the  changes  in  Ida's 
mind  and  character  from  the  hour  of  their  first  meet 
ing,  and  it  seemed  to  him  very  mysterious  indeed  that 
the  thread  of  his  life  should  have  been  caught  in  hers 
by  that  mere  casual  glance  at  the  concert  garden,  and 
then  that  it  should  have  been  so  strangely  and  inti 
mately  interwoven  with  hers  only  to  be  snapped  at 
last  in  this  untimely  and  meaningless  fashion.  He 
groaned,  "  its  all  more  like  the  malicious  ingenuity 
of  a  fiend  seeking  to  cause  the  weak  human  pup 
pets  that  it  misleads  the  greatest  amount  of  suffering, 
than  like  the  hap-hazard  of  a  blind  fate,  or  the  work 
of  a  kind  and  good  God.  Oh,  if  I  had  only  waited 
till  my  Undine  received  her  woman's  soul,  what  a 


A   NIGHTS  VIGIL.  609 

heaven  I, might  have  had  on  earth  !  She  would  have 
filled  my  studio  with  light  and  beauty,  and  my  life 
with  honor  and  happiness.  Never,  never  was  there 
a  more  cruel  fate  than  mine  !  I  shall  die,  and  my 
only  burial  will  be  the  infamy  which  will  cover  my 
memory  forever." 

Then,  with  a  dreary  sinking  of  heart,  his  mind  re 
verted  to  the  long  future  before  him  that  was  now  so 
terribly  vague  and  dark.  In  the  consciousness  of 
solitude  and  in  order  to  break  the  oppressive  stillness, 
he  spoke  aloud  at  intervals  between  his  paroxysms  of 
pain.  "After  all,  what  is  dying?  I  know  how 
deeply  rooted  in  the  human  mind  is  the  belief  that  it 
is  only  a  departure  to  another  place  and  a  different 
condition  of  life.  Can  a  conviction  that  has  been 
universal  in  all  ages  and  among  .all  peoples  be  a  de 
lusion  ?  Whoever  then  or  whatever  created  human 
nature  built  it  on  a  lie.  This  accursed  rock  has 
fallen  on  my  body  and  holds  it  as  if  it  were  a  mere 
clod  of  earth,  as  it  soon  may  be  ;  but  it  does  not  hold 
my  mind.  My  thoughts  have  followed  father,  and 
dear,  dear  mother,  and  sister  Laura  across  the  sea 
a  hundred  times  to-night.  But  oh,  how  strangely 
my  thoughts  come  back  from  every  one — everything 
to  that  dear  saint  who  sacrificed  herself  for  me  to-day. 
— "  And  yet  I'm  leaving  her,  I'm  leaving  all.  Whither 
am  I  going  ?  It's  all  dark,  dark  /  vague  and  dreary. 
Oh,  that  I  had  her  simple  faith  !  Whether  true  or 
no  it  would  be  an  infinite  comfort  now.  What  did 
she  say  ? — '  I've  found  a  Friend  pledged  to  take  care  of 
me.'  That  is  all  I  would  ask.  I  would  not  be  afraid 

to   go  out  into  this  great  universe  if  I  only  had  such 
26* 


6iO  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

a  Friend  as  she  believes  in,  waiting  to  receive  me. 
Who  cares  how  strange  a  place  may  be  if  a  loved 
friend  meets  and  greets  us.  But  to  go  alone,  and 
away  from  so  much  to  which  my  heart  clings — oh, 

it  is  awful  !  awful ! 

"  A  man  can't  die,  ought  not  to  die,  like  a  stupid 
beast  unless  he  is  a  beast  only  ;  nor  should  death 
drag  us  like  trembling  captives  from  the  shores  of 
time.  And  yet  I  must  do  one  of  three  things  :  either 
wait  helplessly  and  in  trembling  expectancy,  or  take 
counsel  of  pride,  and  stubbornly  and  sullenly  meet 
the  future,  or  else  appeal  to  Ida's  Friend.  It  seems 
mean  business  to  do  the  last  now  in  my  extremity, 
but  I  well  know  that  Ida  would  counsel  it,  and  by 
reaching  her  Friend  I  may  at  some  time  in  the  future 
reach  her  again.  I  know  well  how  my  mother— were 
I  dying — would  urge  me  to  look  to  him,  whom  she 
in  loyal  faith  worships  daily,  and  thus  I  may  see  her 
once  more.  The  Bible  teaches  how  many  in  their 
extremity  looked  to  Christ  and  he  helped  them.  But 
then  they  had  not  known  about  him,  and  coldly  and 
almost  contemptuously  neglected  him  for  years  as  I 
have.  Oh,  what  has  my  reason,  of  which  I  have  been 
so  proud,  done  for  me,  save  blast  my  earthly  life 
with  folly,  and  permitted  the  neglect  of  all  prepara 
tion  for  an  eternal  life.  If  ever  a  self-confident  man 
was  taught  how  utterly  incapable  he  was  of  meeting 
events  and  questions  that  might  occur  within  a  few 
brief  days,  I  am  he,  and  yet,  vain  fool  that  I  was  !  I 
was  practically  acting  as  if  I  could  meet  all  that 
would  happen  to  all  eternity  in  a  cool,  well-bred, 
masterful  way.  Poor  untrained,  untaught  Ida  May- 


A   NIGHT'S  VIGIL.  6l  I 

hew  said  she  had  '  found  a  Friend  pledged  to  take  care 
of  her,'  and  he  has  taken  care  of  her.  He  has  made 
her  life  true,  noble,  heroic,  beneficent.  I  was  con 
tent  to  take  care  of  myself,  and  this  is  the  result. 
God  might  well  turn  away  in  disgust  from  any  prayer 
of  mine  now,  but  may  I  be  accursed  if  I  do  not  be 
come  a  Christian  man,  if  by  any  means  I  now  es 
cape  death  !  " 

But  in  his  intense  longing  to  see  again  those  he 
loved  so  well,  and  tell  them  that  he  had  not  basely 
broken  his  pledges  and  fled  like  a  coward  from  duty, 
he  did  pray  with  all  the  agonized  earnestness  of  a 
soul  clinging  to  the  one  hope  that  intervened  be 
tween  itself  and  utter  despair,  but  the  moon  moved 
on  serenely  and  sank  among  the  trees  on  the  western 
bank  of  the  ravine.  The  night  darkened  again  and 
the  stars  came  out  more  clearly  with  their  cold  dis 
tant  glitter.  Nature's  breathless  hush  and  expect 
ancy  continued,  and  there  was  no  sound  without  and 
no  answer  within  the  heart  of  the  despairing  man. 
At  last,  in  weakness  and  discouragement,  he  moaned  : 

"  Well,  thank  God,  brave  Ida  Mayhew  put  an  hon 
orable  purpose  in  my  heart  before  I  died,  and  I 
meant  to  have  carried  it  out.  There's  no  use  of 
praying,  for  it  seems  as  if  I  were  no  more  than  one  of 
these  millions  of  leaves  over  my  head  when  it  falls 
from  its  place.  Nature  is  pitiless  and  God  is  as  cold 
towards  me  as  I  was  once  to  one  who  turned  her  ap 
pealing  eyes  to  me  for  a  little  kindness  and  sympa 
thy.  O  God  !  if  I  must  die,  let  it  be  soon,  for  my 
pain  and  thirst  are  becoming  intolerable." 

The  dawn  was  now  brightening  the  east.      Nature, 


6l2  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

as  if  tired  of  waiting — like  some  professed  friends — 
for  one  who  was  long  in  dying,  ceased  its  breathless 
hush.  A  fresh  breeze  rustled  the  motionless  leaves, 
birds  withdrew  their  heads  from  under  their  wings, 
and  began  the  twittering  preliminary  to  their  morn 
ing  songs;  and  two  squirrels,  springing  from  their 
nest  in  a  hollow  tree,  like  children  from  a  cottage 
door,  scrambled  down  and  over  Van  Berg's  prostrate 
form  in  their  wild  sport,  but  he  was  too  weak,  too 
far  gone  in  dull,  heavy  apathy  to  heed  them. 

At  last  he  thought  he  was  dying,  and  he  became 
unconscious.  He  learned  that  it  was  only  a  swoon, 
from  the  fact  that  he  revived  again,  and  was  dimly 
conscious  of  sounds  near  him.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  he  was  half  asleep,  and  that  he  could  not  wake 
up  sufficiently  to  distinguish  whether  the  sounds 
were  heard  in  a  dream  or  in  reality.  But  he  soon 
became  sure  that  some  one  was  crying  and  moaning 
not  far  away,  and  he  naturally  associated  such  evi 
dences  of  distress  with  what  he  had  seen  last  in  Mr. 
Eltinge's  garden.  He  therefore  called  feebly  : 

"Ida— IdaMayhew." 

"  Merciful  God  !"  exclaimed  avoice,  "who  is  that?" 

His  heart  beat  so  fast  he  could  not  answer  at 
once,  but  he  heard  a  light,  swift  step  ;  the  shrub 
bery  and  low  branches  of  the  trees  were  swept  aside, 
and  Jennie  Burton's  blue  eyes,  full  of  tears  but  dilated 
with  wonder  and  fear,  looked  upon  him. 

"  O,  Jennie  Burton,  good  angel  of  God  !  he  has 
sent  you  to  me,"  cried  the  rescued  man,  who  with  a 
glad  thrill  of  joy  felt  that  life  was  coming  back  in  the 
line  of  honor  and  duty. 


A   NIGHTS  VIGIL.  613 

"  Harold  Van  Berg  !  what  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 
she  asked  in  wild  amazement. 

"  I  was  dying  till  you  came  and  brought  me  hope 
and  life,  as  you  have  to  so  many  others." 

"  Thank  God,  thank  God,"  she  panted,  and  she 
rushed  at  the  rock  that  had  held  him  in  such  terrible 
durance. 

He  struggled  up  and  tried  to  pull  her  hands  away.. 

11  Don't  do  that,  Jennie,"  he  said,  "  you  are  not 
quite  an  angel  yet,  and  cannot  '  roll  the  stone 
away.' ' 

"  O  God  !  "  she  exclaimed,  with  a  sharp  cry  of 
agony,  "  in  some  such  way  and  place  he  may  have 
died,"  and  she  sank  on  the  ground,  moaning  and 
wringing  her  hands  as  if  overwhelmed  with  agony  at 
the  thought. 

Van  Berg  reached  out  and  took  her  hand,  forget 
ting  for  a  moment  his  own  desperate  need,  as  he 
said  :  "  Dear  Jennie,  don't  grieve  so  terribly." 

"  God  forgive  me,  that  I  could  forget  you  !  "  she 
said,  starting  up.  "  I  must  not  lose  a  second  in 
bringing  you  help." 

But  he  clung  feebly  to  her  hand.  "  Wait,  Jennie, 
till  you  are  more  calm.  My  life  depends  on  you 
now.  The  hotel  is  a  long  way  off,  and  if  you  start 
in  your  present  mood  you  will  never  reach  it  your 
self,  and  I  had  better  die  a  thousand  times  than 
cause  harm  to  you." 

She  put  her  hand  on  her  side  and  her  convulsive 
sobbing  soon  ceased.  After  a  moment  or  two  she 
said  quietly:  "  You  can  trust  me  now,  Mr.  Van 
Berg  ;  I  won't  fail  you," 


614  A  FACE   ILLUMINED. 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  bring  me  a  little  water 
before  you  go  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Yes,  there's  a  spring  near;  I  know  this  place 
well,"  and  it  seemed  to  him  that  she  flitted  back  and 
forth  like  a  ray  of  light,  bringing  all  the  water  she 
could  carry  in  a  large  leaf. 

"  Oh,"  he  said,  with  a  long  deep  breath,  "  did  ever 
a  sweeter  draught  pass  mortal  lips,  and  from  your 
hands,  too,  Jennie  Burton.  May  I  die  as  I  would 
have  died  here  if  I  do  not  devote  my  life  to  making 
you  happy  !  " 

i(  I  accept  that  pledge,"  she  said,  with  a  wan  smile 
that  on  her  pale,  tear-stained  face  was  inexpressibly 
touching.  "  It  makes  me  bold  enough  to  ask  one 
more  promise." 

"  It's  made  already,  so  help  me  God  !  "he  replied, 
fervently. 

A  faint,  far-away  gleam  of  something  like  mirth 
came  into  her  deep  blue  eyes  as  she  said,  "  I've 
bound  you  now,  and  you  can  have  no  choice.  Your 
pledge  is  this — that  you  will  make  me  happy  in  my 
own  way.  Now,  not  another  word,  not  another  mo 
tion  ;  keep  every  particle  of  life  and  strength  till  I 
come  again  with  assistance,"  and  she  brought  him 
water  twice  again,  silencing  him  by  an  imperious 
gesture  when  he  attempted-  to  speak,  and  then  she 
disappeared. 

"  That  was  an  odd  pledge  she  beguiled  me  into,"  he 
murmured.  "  I  fear  that  in  the  wiles  of  her  unselfish 
heart  she  has  caught  me  in  some  kind  of  a  trap." 
But  after  a  little  time  he  relapsed  again  into  a  condi 
tion  of  partial  unconsciousness. 


LIFE  AND    TRUST  ^          615 


CHAPTER  LIV. 

LIFE     AND     TRUST. 

IDA  d.d  not  leave  the  refuge  of  her  room  for  seve 
ral  hours  after  her  return  from  the  memorable 
visit  to  Mr.  Eltinge's  garden, — for  far  more  than  the 
long  hot  drive,  her  heroic,  spiritual  conflict  with 
temptation,  the  sense  of  immeasurable  loss,  and  the 
overwhelming  sorrow  that  followed,  had  exhausted 
her.  As  she  rallied  from  her  deep  depression,  which 
was  physical  as  well  as  mental,  and  found  that  she 
could  think  connectedly,  she  turned  to  her  Bible  in 
the  hope  of  discovering  some  comforting  and  reas 
suring  truths  spoken  by  that  Friend  for  whose  sake 
she  had  given  up  so  much. 

These  words  caught  her  attention,  and  in  accordance 
with  the  simplicity  and  directness  of  her  nature  she 
built  upon  them  her  only  hope  for  the  future  :  "  He 
that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake  shall  find  it  /." 

She  sighed  :  "I  have  lost  that  which  is  life  and 
more  than  life  to  me,  and  it  was  for  Christ's  sake. 
It  was  because  he  forgave  me  and  was  kind  in  that 
awful  moment  when  my  crime  was  crushing  my  soul. 
I  could  not  have  given  up  my  chance  of  happiness 
just  because  it  was  right,  but  the  thought  that  he 
asked  it  and  that  it  was  for  his  sake,  turned  the 


616          >  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

wavering  scale  ;  and  now  I  will  trust  him  to  find  my 
life  for  me  again  in  his  own  time  and  way.  As  far  as 
this  world  is  concerned,  my  life  probably  will  be  an 
increasing  care  of  father  and  others,  who,  like  myself, 
have,  or  have  had  '  a  worm  i'  the  bud.'  But  be  the 
future  what  it  may,  I've  made  my  choice  and  I 
shall  abide  by  it." 

Then  she  turned  to  the  xiv.  chapter  of  St.  John, 
that  window  of  heaven  through  which  the  love  of  God 
has  shone  into  so  many  sad  hearts  ;  and  by  the  time 
she  had  read  the  words — "  Peace  I  leave  with  you, 
my  peace  I  give  unto  you  :  not  as  the  world  giveth, 
give  I  unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled, 
neither  let  it  be  afraid  " — she  found  that  the  peace 
promised — deep,  quiet,  sustaining — was  stealing  into 
her  heart  as  the  dawn  turns  night  into  day.  Simple- 
minded  Ida  Mayhew  believed  that  Jesus  Christ  had 
kept  his  word,  for  that  was  all  faith  meant  to  her. 
The  rationalist  practically  maintains  that  such  effects 
are  without  causes,  and  the  materialist  explains  that 
they  are  physical  conditions  to  be  accounted  for,  by 
the  state  of  the  nervous  system. 

Ida  went  down  to  supper,  and  spent  the  evening 
with  her  mother  in  the  parlor.  She  resolved  to  take 
up  her  burden  at  once,  and  that  there  should  be  no 
sentimental  sighing  in  solitude.  Though  so  sorely 
wounded,  she  meant  to  keep  her  place  in  the  ranks, 
and  win  from  society  something  better  than  pity. 
Jennie  Burton  looked  at  her  wistfully  and  wonderingly 
many  times,  for  the  impress  of  the  spiritual  experi 
ence  of  that  day  was  on  her  face,  and  made  it  more 
than  beautiful.  The  blending  of  sadness  and  seren- 


LIFE  AND  TRUST.  617 

ity,  of  quiet  strength  with  calm  resolve,  was  appar 
ent  to  one  possessing  Miss  Burton's  insight  into  char 
acter.  "  Can  it  be,"  she  thought,  "  that  Van  Berg 
has  discovered  her  secret,  and  finds  that  while  he  can 
give  her  warm  friendship  and  sympathy  in  her  new 
life,  he  cannot  give  any  more,  and  has  made  as  much 
apparent  to  her  by  his  manner  ?  I  thought  I  detected 
a  different  tendency  in  his  mind  before  he  went  to 
the  city.  Something  has  occurred  between  them 
evidently,  that  to  poor  Ida  means  giving  up  a  hope 
that  is  like  life  to  a  woman.  I  wish  she  would  let  me 
talk  with  her,  for  I  think  we  could  help  each  other. 
There  is  certainly  a  sustaining  element  in  her  faith 
which  I  do  not  possess  or  understand.  Year  after 
year  I  just  struggle  desperately  to  keep  from  sinking 
into  despair,  and  the  conflict  is  wearing  me  out. 
How  to  meet  to-morrow  with  all  its  memories  I  do  not 
know.  I  can  see  from  the  expression  of  Miss  •May- 
he  w's  face  how  I  ought  to  meet  this  anniversary  of  a 
day  that  once  seemed  to  me  like  heave n-'s  gate  ;  but 
all  I  can  do  is  just  cling  to  my  hope  in  God,  while  I 
cry  like  a  child  that  has  lost  itself  and  all  it  loves  in  a 
thorny  wilderness.  I  do  wish  we  could  talk  frankly, 
but  she  is  utterly  unapproachable." 

Poor  Stanton  stalked  up  and  down  on  the  piazza 
without,  smoking  furiously  and  muttering  strange 
oaths.  If  the  troubles  that  preyed  upon  the  two 
maidens  towards  whom  his  heart  was  so  tender,  were 
outward  enemies,  the  smallest  grain  of  discretion 
would  have  kept  them  out  of  his  way  that  night,  and 
if  Van  Berg  had  quietly  walked  up  the  piazza  steps  as 
Ida  was  expecting,  he  would  have  received  anything 


618  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

but  a  friendly  greeting.  That  he  did  not  come  was  a 
disappointment  to  Ida,  and  yet  deep  in  her  heart 
there  was  a  secret  satisfaction  that  he  found  it  so 
difficult  to  enter  on  the  task  that  duty  and  honor  de 
manded.  "  I  shall  see  him  at  breakfast,  however,"  she 
thought  ;  "  and  he'll  be  quiet,  sane,  and  true  to  his 
pledge." 

But  when  she  did  not  see  him  the  next  morning, 
and  also  learned  from  Stanton  that  he  had  not  been 
in  his  room  during  the  night,  forebodings  of  some  kind 
of  evil  began  coming  like  prowling  beasts  of  the  night 
that  the  traveler  cannot  drive  very  far  away  from 
his  camp-fire.  Could  he  have  broken  his  promise  to 
her,  and  have  fled  from  duty  after  all  ?  She  felt  that 
she  would  16ve  him  no  matter  what  he  did — for  poor 
Ida  could  not  love  on  strictly  moral  principles,  and 
withdraw  her  love  in  offended  dignity  if  the  occasion 
required  ;  but  her  purer  and  womanly  instincts  made 
her  fear  that  if  he  forfeited  her  respect  her  love  might 
degenerate  into  passion. 

Her  wish  that  he  would  come  grew  more  intense 
every  moment,  and  from  her  heart  she  pitied  Jennie 
Burton  as  she  saw  her  turn  away  from  an  almost 
untasted  breakfast,  and  with  a  face  that  was  so  full 
of  suffering  that  she  could  not  disguise  it.  "  I-f  he 
fails  her  utterly  she'll  die,"  murmured  Ida,  as  she 
climbed  wearily  to  her  room.  "  Merciful  Saviour, 
forgive  me  that  I  tried  to  tempt  him  from  her." 

She  watched  from  her  window,  but  he  did  not 
come.  She  saw  Jennie  Burton  hastening  away  on 
one  of  the  lonely  walks  to  which  she  was  given  of 
late.  She  saw  Stanton  drive  off  rapidly,  and  when  a 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  619 

few  hours  later  he  came  back,  she  went  down  to  meet 
him,  and  asked  hesitatingly : 

"  Have  you  seen  or  heard  anything  of  Mr.  Van 
Berg  ?  " 

"  Confound  him  !  no.  I  don't  see  what  the  deuce 
he  means  by  his  course  !  Burleigh  says  he  has  not 
seen  or  heard  a  word  from  him  since  early  Monday 
morning  when  he  started  off  with  his  sketch-book, 
and  Burleigh  also  says  he  seemed  very  glum  and  out 
of  sorts  when  he  joked  him  a  little.  I've  been  to  the 
landing  and  depot,  and  no  one  has  seen  him.  Unless 
Van  can  give  a  better  account  of  himself  than  I  ex 
pect,  he  and  I  will  have  a  tremendous  falling  out." 

"  No,  Cousin  Ik,  you  will  leave  him  to  himself, 
for  anything  like  what  you  threaten  would  wound  two 
hearts  already  sad  enough." 

"  Well,  curse  it  all !  I  must  do  something  or  other, 
or  I'll  explode.  I  can't  sit  by  and  twirl  my  thumbs 
while  two  such  women  as  you  and  Miss  Burton  are 
in  trouble.  When  a  man  breaks  a  girl's  heart  I  feel 
like  breaking  his  head." 

"  Merciful  heaven  !  See — quick — Miss  Burton — 
she's  beckoning  to  you." 

Stanton  sprang  from  the  piazza  at  a  bound,  and 
was  almost  instantly  at  Jennie  Burton's  side,  who 
sank  into  a  seat  near,  and  gasped  : 

11  Do  as  I  bid — no  words — a  carriage,  and  a  stout 
man  with  yourself — take  brandy.  Haste,  or  Mr.  Van 
Berg  will  die." 

"  O  God  !  don't  say  that,"  Ida  sobbed,  kneeling  at 
her  feet  with  a  low,  shuddering  cry. 

Jennie   stooped  over  and   kissed    her,   and    said ; 


620  A   PACE  ILLUMINED. 

"  Courage,  Miss  Mayhew,  all  will  yet  be  well.  Be 
your  brave  self,  and  you  can  help  me  save  him.  Tell 
Mr.  Burleigh  to  come  here.  Have  a  physician  sent  for. " 

Ida  almost  dragged  the  bewildered  host  from  his 
office.  •  Under  the  inspiration  of  hope  her  motions 
were  as  lithe  and  swift  as  a  leopard's.  Within  five 
minutes  after  Miss  Burton's  arrival,  a  carriage  con 
taining  herself,  Stanton,  and  two  stout  men,  dashed 
furiously  towards  the  ravine  in  which  Van  Berg  was 
lying,  and  a  buggy  was  sent  with  equal  rapidity  for  a 
physician.  Then  came  to  poor  Ida  the  awful  suspense 
and  waiting,  which  is  so  often  woman's  part  in  life's 
tragedies. 

"  Oh,  can  it  be,"  she  thought,  with  thrills  of  dread 
and  horror,  "that  he  has  attempted  my  crime?" 
and  she  grew  sick  and  faint.  Then  she  resolutely 
put  the  suspicion  away  from  her  as  unjust  to  him. 
"  Will  they  never  return  ?  O  God,  if  they  should  be 
too  late  ! " 

She  stood  on  the  piazza  with  eyes  dilated  and 
strained,  in  one  direction,  caring  not  what  any  one  saw 
or  surmised  ;  but  in  the  increasing  excitement,  as  the 
rumor  spread  and  grew,  she  was  unnoticed. 

At  last  the  carriage  appeared,  and  it  was  driven  so 
slowly  and  carefully  that  it  suggested  to  the  poor 
girl  the  deliberate  and  mournful  pace  of  a  funeral 
procession,  when  all  need  for  haste  is  past  forever, 
and  she  sprang  down  the  steps  in  her  intense  anxiety, 
and  took  some  swift  steps  before  she  controlled  her 
self.  Then  pressing  her  hand  on  her  side,  she  sank 
into  the  seat  which  Miss  Burton  had  occupied  a  little 
before. 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  621 

Jennie  Burton  waved  a  handkerchief — that  meant 
life.  "  Thank  God  !  "  she  murmured,  and  tears  of 
joy  rushed  into  her  eyes.  She  now  saw  that  Stanton 
was  supporting  Van  Berg.  She  sprang  up  the  steps 
again,  broke  through  the  excited  and  curious  throng 
on  the  piazza,  and  was  back  with  a  strong  arm-chair 
from  the  office  by  the  time  the  carriage  stopped  at 
the  door. 

"  That's  a  sensible  girl,  Ida,"  said  Stanton,  "  that's 
lust  the  thing  to  carry  him  in.  Now,  Van,  rally  and 
do  your  best  a  few  moments  longer,  and  you're  all 
right." 

At  the  sound  of  Ida's  name  he  lifted  his  head  and 
looked  around  till  he  met  her  eyes,  and  then  smiled 
gladly.  His  smile  satisfied  her  completely,  and  she 
stepped  quietly  into  the  background.  "  He  has  not 
broken  his  pledge,  even  in  thought,"  she  murmured. 
"  I  can  trust  him  still." 

He  was  carried  up  the  steps  and  stairs  to  his  room, 
followed  by  all  eyes.  Ida  stole  to  Jennie  Burton, 
and  kept  near  her  as  she  sought  to  quietly  gain  her 
room  by  a  side  stairs. 

"  You  are  faint,  Miss  Burton,"  she  said  gently, 
"  lean  on  me,"  and  Jennie  did  lean  on  her  more  and 
more  heavily  until  she  reached  her  room,  and  then 
her  blue  eyes  closed,  and  the  day  she  so  dreaded  was 
over,  as  far  as  she  had  consciousness  of  it  ;  so  slight 
and  fragile  had  she  become  that  even  Ida  was  able 
to  carry  her  to  her  couch.  Her  swoon  of  utter  ex 
haustion  was  long  and  deep,  and  when  she  rallied 
from  it  there  were  symptoms  which  led  the  physician 
to  say  that  she  must  have  absolute  quiet  and  sleep. 


622  A   FACE   IIJ.UM1NED. 

and  he  gave  strong  opiates  to  insure  the  latter.  Jen 
nie  only  reached  out  her  hand  for  Ida  and  whispered  : 
"Don't  leave  me,"  and  then  passed  into  a  slumber 
that  seemed  like  death. 

With  her  old  imperious  manner  Ida  silenced  all 
who  entered  the  room,  or  motioned  them  out  if  they 
had  no  business  there. 

Stanton  whispered  :  "  You  know  I  will  be  within 
call  any  moment;  "  but  Ida's  reply  was  :  "  If  you 
love  her,  if  you  care  for  me,  don't  leave  him  ;  make 
him  live."  Thus,  in  restoring  rest  and  patient  vigils 
the  night  wore  away.  The  physician  found  that 
while  Van  Berg's  leg  was  much  bruised  and  wrench 
ed,  it  had  received  no  permanent  injury  ;  and  in  re 
gard  to  Miss  Burton  he  said  :  "  If  she  wakes  quiet 
and  sane,  all  danger  will  be  past,  I  think." 

His  hopes  were  fulfilled.  With  the  dawn  her  deep 
stupor  passed  into  a  light  and  broken  slumber,  in 
which  she  tossed,  and  moaned,  and  whispered,  as  if 
the  light  of  thought  were  also  streaming  into  her  dark 
ened  mind.  At  last  she  opened  her  eyes  and  looked 
at  Ida,  who  smiled  reassuringly.  In  a  few  moments 
the  events  of  the  past  day  came  back  to  her,  and  she 
started  up  and  asked  earnestly  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg— is  he  safe  ?  " 

Ida  stooped  down  and  kissed  her  as  she  replied  ; 
"  Mr.  Van  Berg  is  rallying  fast,  and  is  out  of  all 
danger." 

Jennie  leaned  back  among  her  pillows  with  a  smile 
of  deep  content,  and  closed  her  eyes.  When  she 
opened  them  again  Ida  had  gone,  and  Mrs.  Burleigh 
had  taken  her  place  as  watcher. 


AA'D    TRUST.  •  623 

But  the  need  of  such  care  passed  speedily.  The 
doctor,  after  his  morning  call,  said  that  the  critical 
moment  of  danger  had  gone  by.  So  it  had,  but  his 
understanding  of  Jennie's  case  was  superficial  indeed, 
and  he  ascribed  to  his  opiate  a  virtue  that  it  had 
never  possessed.  The  balm  that  had  soothed  her 
wounded  spirit  was  the  thought  of  saved  life  and  the 
happiness  that  might  result  to  those  in  whom  she 
was  deeply  interested.  The  dreaded  anniversarj 
had  passed,  and  she  was  profoundly  grateful  that  it 
had  ended  in  physical  exhaustion  rather  than  in  vain 
and  agonized  regret.  She  readily  obeyed  the  phy 
sician's  injunction  to  keep  very  quiet  for  two  or  three 
days,  for  memory  during  the  past  few  weeks  had 
caused  a  fever  of  mind  that  was  scarcely  less  wear 
ing  than  would  have  been  the  disease  against  which 
rest  was  the  best  safeguard.  The  condition  in  which 
she  found  Van  Berg  suggested  some  light  on  the 
dark  problem  of  her  life,  but  she  only  sighed  deeply  : 
"  I  shall  never  know  in  this  world  why  he  does  not 
come." 

When  told  how  Ida  had  taken  care  of  her  and 
watched  till  all  danger  was  passed,  she  murmured 
to  herself,  "  Brave,  noble  Ida  Mayhew  !  but  I  may 
be  able  to  reward  her  yet."  She  needed  very  lit 
tle  care,  and  felt  no  surprise  that  Ida  now  permitted 
others  to  render  these  attentions,  contenting  herself 
with  brief  but  gentle  inquiries  concerning  her  wel 
fare.  Jennie  only  took  pains  to  learn  that  Ida  would 
not  leave  the  Lake  House  till  Monday  of  the  follow 
ing  week,  and  then  rested  and  waited.  She  was  not 
sure  of  Van  Berg,  and  until  she  was  she  would  shield 


624  'A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

Ida  as  herself.  But  if  it  were  true,  as  she  surmised 
that  Van  Berg  imagined  that  honor  and  loyalty 
bound  him  to  her,  while  his  heart  was  disposed  tc 
reward  the  maiden  who  had  given  him  hers,  she 
hoped  that  a  little  wise  diplomacy  on  her  part  might 
do  no  harm.  She  very  justly  feared  than  Van  Berg'* 
gratitude  to  herself  would  be  so  strong  that  he  would 
consider  nothing  else,  and  she  also  feared  that  in  order 
to  accomplish  her  kind  intentions  towards  them,  it 
might  become  necessary  for  her  to  tell  him  the  sad 
story  of  her  life — a  story  which  she  had  never  yet 
put  in  words.  Therefore  she  sought  to  obtain  the 
strength  and  tranquillity  of  mind  which  this  effort 
might  tax  to  the  utmost.  She  also  imagined  that  if 
she  could  only  see  Ida  and  Van  Berg  together  a  few 
times,  her  course  would  be  clearer. 

Van  Berg's  vital  forces  had  not  been  drained  by 
weeks  of  mental  distress,  and  he  rallied  rapidly. 
Stanton  took  care  of  him  with  a  sort  of  grim  faithful 
ness  which  his  friend  appreciated,  but  neither  of  them 
made  any  reference  to  the  subjects  uppermost  in 
their  minds.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  following 
his  rescue,  he  was  able  to  use  crutches,  and  seated 
in  his  arm-chair  was  carried  down  to  the  hotel  parlor. 
The  guests  thronged  around  him  with  congratula 
tions,  and  Ida  came  forward  promptly  with  the 
others,  but  her  manner  was  the  most  undemonstra 
tive  and  quiet  of  any  who  spoke  to  him.  His  earnest 
look  and  the  pressure  of  his  hand  meant  so  much  to 
her,  however,  that  she  soon  retreated  to  the  solitude 
of  her  room,  and  her  smile  was  almost  glad  as  she 
murmured  : 


LTFE  AND    TRUST. 

"  Oh,  how  much  better  it  is  to  just  take  God  at  his 
word  and  do  right  !  If  I  had  yielded  to  my  strong 
temptation  I  would  not  have  won  him,  for  now  he  is 
bound  to  Miss  Burton  by  every  motive.  But  by  do 
ing  right  I  have  kept  his  respect.  Thank  God  for 
the  glance  I  have  just  received,  for  it  is  worth  far 
more  than  any  expressions  of  dishonorable  passion. 
My  conscience  is  light,  if  my  heart  is  heavy  !  " 

In  the  quiet  and  friendly  courtesy  that  Van  Berg 
and  Ida  maintained  towards  each  other,  a  casual 
observer  would  have  seen  nothing  to  excite  remark, 
and  the  gossips  at  the  house  believed  they  had  been 
misled  by  the  facts  that  the  artist  had  followed  Ida 
to  the  city,  and  returned  with  her  as  if  by  arrange 
ment.  They  now  all  agreed  that  he  could  not  do 
less  than  bestow  himself  as  a  reward  upon  the  "pretty 
little  school  ma'am,"  as  some  of  the  tattling  genus 
persisted  in  calling  Miss  Burton.  Mr.  Mayhew  had 
written  that  unexpected  business  complications  had 
arisen  which  required  his  whole  attention,  and  as  he 
was  acting  in  trust  for  others  he  could  not  give  his 
time  just  then  to  making  the  change  that  Ida  had 
wished,  but  that  he  would  arrange  matters  so  he 
could  enter  on  his  vacation  the  following  week,  and 
then  would  take  Ida  wherever  she  wished  to  go.  He 
wrote  daily,  and  his  letters  were  sources  of  double 
cheer  to  Ida,  for  she  read  between  the  lines  her 
father's  deep  sympathy  and  in  the  lines  found  in 
creasing  proof  that  he  was  a  changed  man. 

Now  that  events  had  taken  their  strange  and  unex 
pected  turn,  she  was  not  sorry  to  remain.  She  had 
no  belief  that  change  of  place  would  make  any  differ- 


626  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

ence  in  her  feelings,  and  she  found  that  her  heart 
clung  strongly  to  the  scenes  with  which  were  associ 
ated  her  recent  deep  experiences.  There  was  nothing 
in  Van  Berg's  manner  now  that  made  it  embarrassing 
for  her  to  meet  him.  While  in  his  honest  effort  to 
keep  his  pledges,  she  saw  that  he  apparently  gave  the 
most  of  his  thoughts  to  Miss  Burton,  and  daily  had 
conveyed  to  her  room  the  rarest  flowers  and  fruits  he 
could  obtain,  sending  to  the  city  for  them  as  well  as 
having  the  country  scoured  for  its  choicest  treasures, 
she  also  occasionally  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  truth 
that  he  honored  and  reverenced  her  from  the  depths 
of  his  heart.  Although  in  her  sincere  diffidence  she 
did  not  regard  herself  as  worthy  of  such  esteem,  still 
the  poor  girl,  who  had  been  so  deeply  humiliated 
and  discouraged,  was  comforted  and  sustained  by  his 
strong  and  silent  homage.  She  would  also  be  very 
sorry  to  forego  her  daily  visits  to  Mr.  Eltinge. 

As  Thursday  was  warm,  Van.  Berg  spent  the 
greater  part  of  it  on  the  cool  piazza,  for  he  was  now 
able  to  move  about  on  crutches  very  well.  He  had 
no  lack  of  company,  but  all  found  him  reticent  con 
cerning  his  accident  and  the  causes  which  had  led 
to  it.  The  most  persistent  gossip  in  the  house  learned 
no  more  than  the  bare  facts,  and  was  inclined  to 
believe  there  was  nothing  more  to  learn.  That  Stan- 
ton  was  so  distant  was  explained  by  the  fact  that 
he  was  an  unsuccessful  rival.  Both  Van  Berg  and 
Ida  puzzled  Stanton  as  far  as  he  gave  them  thought, 
but  in  his  honest  loyalty  his  heart  was  in  the  dark 
ened  room  in  which  poor  Jennie  was  resting,  more 
from  her  long  passionate  struggle  with  a  sorrow  she 


LIFE   AND    TRUST.  02 / 

could  not  bury,  than  from  the  exhaustion  caused  by 
her  rescue  of  Van  Berg. 

Friday  morning  happened  to  be  very  warm,  and 
Ida  did  not  visit  Mr.  Eltinge,  but  ensconced  herself  in 
a  distant  corner  of  the  piazza,  with  a  book,  the  pages 
of  which  were  not  turned  very  regularly.  "  I  won 
der,"  she  thought,  "  when,  if  ever,  we  shall  have  an 
other  friendly  talk.  What  a  strange,  deep  hush,  as 
it  were,  has  come  after  the  passionate  joy  and  des 
perate  sorrow  and  fear  of  the  past  week  !  It  is  the 
type  of  what  my  inner  life  will  be.  But  I  must  not 
complain  ;  thousands  of  hearts,  no  doubt,  are  the 
burial-places  of  as  dear  a  hope  as  mine,  and  One  is 
pledged  to  give  me  back  my  life  in  some  way,  and  at 
some  time. 

"  Miss  Ida,"  said  a  voice  that  made  her  start  and 
crimson  in  spite  of  herself,  "may  I  come  out  and 
talk  with  you  a  little  while  ?  "  and  she  saw  that  Van 
Berg  was  speaking  to  her  through  the  window  blinds 
of  one  of  the  private  parlors. 

"Yes,"  she  said  hesitatingly,  "  if  you  think  it  is 
best." 

He  went  around  and  came  openly  to  her  side, 
bringing  a  small  camp-chair  with  him.  As  he  stead 
ied  himself  against  a  piazza  column  in  taking  his  seat, 
and  leaned  his  crutches  on  the  railing,  her  looks  were 
very  sympathetic.  With  a  smile  he  took  one  of  his 
crutches  in  his  hands  as  he  said  : 

"I  have  come  to  these  very  properly  at  last,  and 
you  must  have  seen  their  significance.  It  is  my 
spiritual  and  moral  lameness,  however,  that  now  trou 
bles  me  most,  Miss  Mayhew.  When  lying  at  the  bot- 


628  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

torn  of  that  ravine,  expecting  death,  I  vowed,  like 
most  sinners  in  similar  circumstances,  I  suppose,  that 
if  I  ever  escaped  I  would  become  a  Christian  man.  I 
intend  to  keep  the  vow  if  it  is  a  possible  thing.  But  1 
make  no  progress.  I  prayed  then,  and  I  have  prayed 
and  read  my  Bible  since,  but  everything  is  forced  and 
formal,  and  the  thought  will  come  to  me  continually, 
that  I  might  as  well  pray  to  Socrates  or  Plato  as  to 
Christ.  I  wish  you  could  teach  me  your  faith." 

14  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  replied  Ida,  with  a  troubled  face, 
"  I'm  not  wise  enough  to  guide  you  in  such  a  matter. 
I  would  much  rather  you  would  talk  with  Mr.  El- 
tinge  or  some  learned,  good  man." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  Mr.  Eltinge,  but  I  don't 
care  to  go  to  the  learned  man  just  yet.  We  might 
get  into  an  argument,  in  which  of  course  I  should  be 
worsted,  but  I  fear  not  convinced.  I  have  never 
known  anything  so  real  as  your  faith  has  seemed, 
but  I  can  obtain  nothing  that  in  the  least  corresponds 
with  it.  I  ask,  but  receive  no  more  response  than  if 
I  spoke  to  the  empty  air.  Then  comes  the  strong 
temptation  to  relapse  into  the  old  materialistic  phil 
osophy,  which  I  had  practically  accepted,  and  to  be 
lieve  that  religious  experiences  are  imaginary,  or  the 
result  of  education  and  temperament.  At  the  same 
time  I  have  found  this  philosophy  such  a  wretched 
support,  either  in  life  or  in  the  prospect  of  death,  that 
I  would  be  glad  to  throw  it  away  as  worthless." 

(i  I  fear  to  speak  to  you  on  this  subject,"  she 
said,  "  and  shall  not  for  a  moment  attempt  to  teach 
you  anything.  They  say  facts  are  stubborn  things, 
and  I'll  tell  you  a  few,  which  to  my  simple,  homely 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  (j2g 

common-sense  are  conclusive.  To  a  man's  reason 
they  may  count  for  little.  My  religious  experiences 
are  not  the  result  of  education  or  temperament,  but 
are  contrary  to  both  ;  and  if  they  are  imaginary, 
all  my  experiences  are  imaginary.  Perhaps  I  can 
best  tell  you  what  I  mean  by  an  illustration  that 
is  a  pleasant  one  to  me.  There  is  a  partially  finished 
picture  in  your  studio  that  I  some  day  hope  to  hang 
in  my  own  sanctum  at  home.  How  shall  I  ever 
know  that  I  have  that  picture  ?  How  shall  I  ever 
know  that  you  have  given  it  to  me  ?  I  shall  know  it 
because  you  keep  your  promise  and  send  it  to  me. 
I  shall  have  it  in  my  possession,  and  I  shall  enjoy  it 
daily.  Are  not  hope,  patience,  peace,  when  the 
world  could  give  no  peace,  as  real  as  your  picture  ? 
Is  not  the  honest  purpose  to  overcome  a  nature  that 
you  know  is  so  very  faulty,  as  real  a  gift  as  any  I 
could  receive  ?  If  the  Friend  I  have  found  promises 
me  such  things,  and  at  once  begins  to  keep  his  word, 
why  should  I  not  trust  him  ?  But  remember,  you 
must  not  expect  from  me  very  much  at  first,  any 
more  than  did  Mr.  Eltinge  from  the  little  pear-tree 
he  lifted  up  and  gave  a  chance  to  live.  Now,  with 
one  more  thought,  my  small  cup  of  theology  is 
emptied.  To  go  back  to  my  illustration  :  Suppose 
some  person  should  say  that  he  had  not  a  picture  of 
Mr.  Eltinge ;  that  would  be  no  proof  that  I  did  not 
have  one,  or  that  you  had  not  given  one  to  me.  I 
don  t  see,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  that  the  fact  that  you  have 
no  faith  this  morning,  is  anything  against  the  fact  that 
I  and  Mr.  Eltinge,  and  so  many  others  do  have  faith, 
with  good  reasons  for  it,  and  are  able  to  sav,  '  I  know 


630  J   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

that  my  Redeemer  liveth.'  The  testimony  of  other 
people  counts  for  something  in  most  matters.  Why 
must  such  men  as  Mr.  Eltinge  be  set  down  either  as 
deceivers  or  deceived,  when  they  state  some  of  the 
most  certain  facts  of  their  experience  ?  " 

"  I  knew  you  were  the  right  one  to  come  to,"  he 
said,  looking  at  her  so  earnestly  that  her  eyes  fell 
before  his  ;  "  but  why  is  it,  do  you  think,  that  I  re 
ceive  no  answer  ?  " 

"  As  I  told  you,  my  little  cup  of  knowledge  is 
empty,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  in  your  happy,  won 
derful  rescue  you  were  answered.  You  have  prom 
ised  to  become  a  Christian,  Mr.  Van  Berg.  You  cer 
tainly  did  not  limit  your  effort  to  this  week.  Surely 
to  be  a  Christian  is  worth  a  lifetime  of  effort." 

"  I  understand  you  again,"  he  said  with  a  smile  ; 
"  you  leave  me  no  other  choice  than  to  make  a  life 
time  of  effort.  But  I  fear  it  will  be  awfully  up-hill 
work.  The  Bible  seems  to  me  an  old-world  book. 
Many  parts  take  a  strong  hold  on  my  imagination, 
and  of  course  I  know  its  surpassing  literary  merit ; 
but  I  don't  find  in  it  much  that  seems  personally 
applicable  or  helpful.  Do  you  ?  I  admit,  though, 
that  when  I  read  words  this  morning  to  the  effect  that 
*  a  brutish  man  knoweth  not,  neither  doth  a  fool  un 
derstand/  I  felt  that  the  good  old  saint  must  have 
had  his  prophetic  eye  on  me  at  the  time  of  writing." 

"  You  are  as  unjust  towards  yourself  as  ever,  I  see," 
she  said.  "  I  have  found  another  Psalm  that  to  me 
meant  so  much  that  I  have  committed  the  first  part 
of  it  to  memory.  You  can  understand  why  the  fol 
lowing  words  are  significant,"  and  in  the  plaintive 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  631 

tones  that  had  vibrated  so  deeply  in  his  heart  when 
she  read  to  Mr.  Eltinge,  she  repeated  : 

•"  I  love  the  Lord  because  he  hath  heard  my  voice 
and  my  supplication. 

"  Because  he  hath  inclined  his  ear  unto  me,  there 
fore  will  I  call  upon  him  as  long  as  I  live. 

"The  sorrows  of  death  compassed  me,  and  the 
pains  of  hell  got  hold  upon  me  :  I  found  trouble  and 
sorrow. 

"  Then  called  I  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  ;  O 
Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  deliver  my  soul. 

"  The  Lord  pr.eserveth  the  simple  :  I  was  brought 
low  and  he  helped  me. 

"  Return  unto  thy  rest,  O  my  soul  ;  for  the  Lord 
hath  dealt  bountifully  with  thee. 

"  For  thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from  death, 
mine  eyes  from  tears,  and  my  feet  from  falling. 

"And  this  is  my  conclusion,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  'I 
will  walk  before  the  Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living.' 
I  am  going  to  rind  plenty  of  good,  live,  wholesome 
work  to  do  '  in  the  land  of  the  living,'  and  I  intend 
to  do  it  as  if  I  enjoyed  it  ;  indeed,  I  think  I  shall  en 
joy  it,"  and  she  rose  and  left  him  with  a  genial 
and  cheery  smile. 

But  he  sat  still  and  thought  long  and  deeply.  At 
last  he  muttered  in  conclusion  :  "  '  By  their  fruits 
ye  shall  know  them.'  Once  more,  God  bless  Ida 
Mayhew  for  all  she  has  been  to  me  !  " 

When  they  were  gathered  at  dinner,  Jennie  Burton 
walked  in  and  took  her  seat  in  the  most  quiet  and 
matter  of  course  way  possible. 

Berg  laid  down  his  knife  and  fork  and  ex- 


632  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

claimed  :  "  You  have  stolen  a  march  on  us.  We  de 
signed  giving  you  an  ovation  when  you  came 
down." 

"  Will  you  please  pass  me  the  bread  in  its  place, 
Mr.  Van  Berg  ?  "  she  replied  in  her  former  piquant, 
mirthful  way.  "  With  the  appetite  that  is  coming  back 
to  me,  one  of  Mr.  Burleigh's  good  dinners  is  far  more 
to  my  taste  than  an  ovation  which  I  now  decline 
with  thanks." 

Very  pale  and  slight  she  certainly  had  become, 
but  they  saw  that  her  old  cheery,  indomitable  spirit 
once  more  looked  out  of  her  blue  eyes  and  vibrated 
in  the  tones  of  her  voice.  With  the  changes  indi 
cated,  she  was  the  same  bright  little  "  enigma  in 
brown "  that  had  so  fascinated  Van  Berg  the  first 
day  of  her  arrival,  and  led  him  to  make  the  half-jest 
ing  prediction  to  Stanton  that  had  been  so  thor 
oughly  fulfilled.  In  spite  of  themselves  her  irresisti 
ble  grace,  wit,  and  humor  created  continuous  and  irre 
pressible  merriment  at  their  table,  which  Ida  seconded 
with  a  tact  and  piquancy  but  little  inferior  to  that  of 
Miss  Burton  herself.  Straightforward  and  rather 
slow-witted,  Stanton  rubbed  his  eyes  and  vowed  be 
tween  the  first  hearty  laughs  he  had  known  for  many 
a  long  day  that  he  was  practised  upon,  and  that  he 
intended  to  have  Miss  Burton  indicted  as  a  witch, 
and  Ida  as  an  accomplice. 

But  Jennie  Burton  could  not  escape  the  ovation, 
for  she  had  won  a  secure  and  large  place  in  the 
esteem,  and  in  many  instances,  in  the  affections  of 
her  summer  associates.  After  dinner,  no  matter 
which  way  she  turned,  hands  were  extended  and 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  633 

hearty  words  spoken,  and  while  at  dinner  even  the  col 
ored  waiters  grinned  approvingly  whenever  she  looked 
towards  them.  Mr.  Burleigh  finally  brought  the  con 
gratulations  and  jollity  to  a  climax  by  hoisting  the 
flag  and  trying  to  drum  "Hail  Columbia"  on  a 


"  That's  his  way,"  said  Mrs.  Burleigh  in  an  aside 
to  Jennie;  "but  would  you  believe  it,  the  poor 
man  has  scarcely  eaten  or  slept  since  you  have  been 
ill.  If  it  had  been  any  one  else  but  you  I'd  been 
jealous." 

But  Van  Berg  knew  well  that  all  this  geniality  was 
like  the  ripple  and  sparkle  that  play  above  deep  waters. 
Occasionally  he  found  Miss  Burton's  eyes  directed 
towards  himself  in  a  way  that  caused  him  deep 
anxiety,  and  he  had  an  uneasy  consciousness  that  she 
was  reading  his  innermost  thoughts.  While  he  ex 
erted  his  utmost  power  to  banish  everything  from  his 
mind  that  was  not  loyal  to  her,  he  made  no  effort  to 
avoid  Ida  or  say  little  to  her  at  the  table  and  during 
the  afternoon,  but  rather  took  pains  to  treat  her  with 
frank  and  cordial  courtesy  ;  however,  in  spite  of  him 
self,  he  could  not  keep  out  of  his  eyes  at  all  times  the 
reverence  and  gratitude  with  which  his  very  soul 
overflowed  ;  for  he  felt  that  he  owed  to  Ida,  who  had 
saved  his  manhood,  far  more  than  to  Jennie,  who  had 
saved  his  life  only. 

Ida  also  observed  Miss  Burton's  slight  and  care 
fully  disguised  scrutiny  with  a  fluttering  heart.  "  I 
suppose  he  does  the  best  he  can,"  she  thought  ; 
"  but  she'll  surely  find  him  out  ;  there  is  no  use  of 

trying  to  hide  anything  from  a  woman  who  loves. 

27* 


634  A   F-ICE   ILLUMINED. 

Well,  well,  let  her  but  remain  discreetly  blind  for  a 
little  time,  and  with  her  powers  of  fascination  she 
will  win  him  heart  and  soul." 

Before  Jennie  slept  that  night  her  mind  was  clear  as 
to  her  course.  "I  think,  "she  murmured,"  I  under 
stand  them  both  now.  His  manner  towards  Miss 
Mayhew  is  certainly  not  that  of  a  conventional  lover ; 
but  as  I  have  seen  him  look  at  her  twice  as  if  he 
could  say  his  prayers  to  her,  I  think  I'll  venture  on 
the  only  match-making  I  ever  attempted.  But  what 
to  do  with  Mr.  Stantbn,  I  don't  know.  Poor  man  !  he 
might  as  well  love  a  shadow  as  me,  and  yet  he  seems 
so  simple,  honest,  and  real  himself.  He  is  disappoint 
ing  me  daily,  and  I  have  wronged  him  very  much.  I 
thought  him  a  selfish  man  of  the -world,  but  he  per 
sists  in  offering  me  a  chivalric,  unselfish  devotion, 
for  which  he  asks  nothing  in  return.  Alas  !  I  can 
give  him  nothing — nothing  compared  with  what  he 
gives." 

"  I  am  going  to  make  my  last  visit  to  Mr.  Eltinge 
and  the  old  garden,"  said  Ida  to  Van  Berg  as  she 
passed  him  on  the  piazza  the  following  morning. 

He  looked  after  her  so  wistfully,  and  sighed  s*o 
deeply,  that  Jennie  Burton,  unseen  herself,  smiled 
as  if  she  had  discovered  something  that  gave  her 
deep  satisfaction. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said  a  few  moments  later, 
"  can  you  give  me  a  little  of  your  valuable  time  to 
day  ?  " 

"  All  of  it,"  he  said  promptly. 

"  Thanks.  I  shall  take,  then,  all  I  want.  Come 
with  me  to  yonder  shady  rustic  seat,  for  I  long  to  be 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  635 

out  of  doors  again  ;  and  you  have  learned  to  hobble 
so  gracefully  and  deftly  that  you  can  manage  the 
journey,  I'm  sure." 

He  accompanied  her,  wondering  a  little  at  her 
words  and  manner.  When  they  had  reached  the  se 
clusion  she  sought  her  manner  changed,  and  she  be 
came  very  grave  and  earnest,  for  she  felt  that  it 
might  be  the  crisis  moment  of  two  lives,  and  she 
was  not  one  who  could  self-complacently  and  confi 
dently  seek  to  shape  human  destiny. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  "  I  shall  not  use  any 
tedious  circumlocution,  for  your  time  is  precious  this 
morning  ;  more  so  than  you  think  at  this  moment. 
Nor  shall  I  try  to  entrap  you  by  guile  and  feminine 
diplomacy  ;  but  you  made  me  a  very  explicit  pledge 
when  I  found  you  last  Tuesday  morning." 

"Yes,  Jennie  Burton,  I  am  yours,  body  and  soul." 
"  But  how  about  your  heart,  Mr.  Van  Berg  ?  " 
"  My  heart  overflows  with  gratitude  to  you,"  he 
said  promptly,  but  with  rising  color ;  "  and  as  I  said 
when  you  rescued  me,  so  now  I  vow  again,  I  dedi 
cate  my  life  to  you.  I  do  not  ask  you  to  forget  the 
past  at  once — I  do  not  ask  you  to  forget  it  at  all — 
but  only  to  let  me  aid  you  in  taking  the  bitterness 
out  of  those  memories  that  now  are  destroying  as 
sweet  and  beneficent  a  life  as  God  ever  gave.  I  have 
suspected  that  you  had  some  unselfish  guile  in  that 
last  promise  you  obtained  from  me,  but  I  shall  be 
loyal  to  the  promise  I  intended  to  make,  and  which 
was  in  my  mind  ;  I  shall  be  loyal  to  the  promise  I 
made  you  at  first,  to  win  you  if  I  could,  and  I  shall 
wait  till  I  can.0 


636        '    .'•  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

"  What,  then,  will  Ida  Mayhew  do  ?  "  she  asked, 
looking  him  full  in  the  face. 

He  colored  still  more  deeply,  but  meeting  her 
searching  gaze  without  blenching,  he  said,  firmly  and 
quietly  :  "  She  will  always  do  what  is  right  and  noble, 
God  bless  her  !  " 

Miss  Burton  appeared  a  little  perplexed  and  trou 
bled  for  a  moment,  and  then  said,  slowly  :  "  I  called 
you  my  friend  last  July,  and  when  I  speak  in  the 
mood  I  was  in  then  I  mean  all  that  I  say.  Friends 
should  be  very  frank  when  the  occasion  requires,  or 
else  they  are  but  acquaintances.  I  am  going  to  be 
very  frank  with  you  to-day,  and  if  I  err,  charge  it  to 
friendship  only.  Ida  Mayhew  loves  you,  Mr.  Van 
Berg  ;  she  has  loved  you  almost  from  the  first  ;  and 
now  that  her  life  has  become  so  noble  and  beauti 
ful,  I  am  greatly  mistaken  if  you  do  not  return  her 
affection.  If  this  be  true,  what  are  you  offering 
me?" 

"I  have  given  you,  Miss  Burton,  my  truth  and 
loyalty  for  all  coming  time.  You  may  decline  them 
now — you  probably  will — but  you  cannot  change  my 
attitude  towards  you  or  alter  my  course.  I  shall  not 
attempt  to  hide  anything  from  you.  Indeed,  to  do 
so  would  be  vain,  and  I  have  never  been  intention 
ally  insincere  with  you,"  and  he  told  her  of  the  freak 
'of  fancy  that  had  led  him  to  follow  Ida  to  the  country 
in  the  first  instance,  and  much  that  followed  since, 
making  no  reference,  however,  to  her  dark  purpose 
against  herself.  In  conclusion  he  said  :  "Of  late, 
for  reasons  obvious  to  you,  she  has  had  strong  fasci 
nations  for  me,  but  above  and  beyond  these  has 


LIFE   AND    TRUST.  ,       637 

been  her  influence  on  the  side  of  all  that's  right, 
manly,  and  true.  I  have  never  spoken  of  love  to 
Miss  Mayhew.  Honor,  loyalty,  unbounded  grati 
tude,  and  deep  affection  bind  me  to  you,  and  shall 
through  life.  Please  say  no  more,  Miss  Jennie,  for 
if  any  question  was  ever  settled,  this  is." 

"  Then  you  propose  to  sacrifice  yourself  and  Miss 
Mayhew  for  the  shadowy  chance  of  making  me  a 
little  happier  ?  " 

"  /shall  not  be  sacrificed,  and  Ida  Mayhew  would 
justly  reject  me  with  scorn  were  I  disloyal  to  you. 
I  can  give  you  more  love,  Jennie  Burton,  than  I  fear 
you  will  ever  give  to  me,  but  I  shall  wait  patiently. 
When  months  and  years  have  proved  to  you  the 
truth  of  my  words,  you  may  feel  differently.  Let  us 
leave  the  subject  till  then." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  shall  have  to  tell  you  after 
all,"  she  said,  burying  her  face  in  her  hands. 

"  You  need  not  now,"  he  replied  gently.  "  You 
have  been  ill  and  are  not  strong  enough  for  this 
agitation.  You  never  need  tell  me  unless  it  will 
make  your  burden  lighter." 

"  It  will  make  my  burden  lighter  to-day,"  she  said 
hurriedly.  "  Pardon  me  if  I  tell  my  story  in  the 
briefest  and  most  prosaic  way.  You  are  the  first  one 
that  has  heard  it.  It  may  not  seem  much  to  you  and 
others  ;  but  to  me  it  is  an  awful  tragedy,  and  I  some 
times  fear  my  life  may  be  an  eternal  condition  of  sus 
pense  and  waiting.  You  have  been  very  generous  in 
taking  me  so  fully  on  trust,  but  now  you  shall  know 
all.  I  am  the  only  daughter  of  a  poor,  unworldly 
New  England  clergyman.  My  mother  died  before  I 


638  A   PALh    ILLUMINED. 

can  remember,  and  my  father  gave  to  me  all  the  time 
he  could  spare  from  the  duties  of  a  small  village  par 
ish.  He  and  the  beautiful  region  in  which  we  lived 
were  my  only  teachers.  One  June  morning  Harrold 
Fleetwood  came  to  the  parsonage  with  letters  of  in 
troduction,  saying  that  his  physician  had  banished 
him  from  books  and  city  life,  and  he  asked  if  he 
could  be  taken  as  a  lodger  for  a  few  weeks.  Poor 
and  unworldly  as  father  was,  for  my  sake  he  made 
careful  inquiries  and  learned  that  the  young  man  was 
from  one  of  the  best  and  wealthiest  families  of  Bos 
ton,  and  bore  an  unblemished  reputation.  Then, 
since  we  were  so  very  poor,  he  yielded  to  Mr.  Fleet- 
wood's  wishes,  hoping  thus  to  be  able  to  buy  some 
books,  he  said,  on  which  our  minds  could  live  during 
the  coming  winter. 

"To  me,  Harrold  Fleetwood  was  a  very  remarka 
ble  character.  While  he  always  treated  me  with 
kindness  and  respect,  he  did  not  take  much  notice  of 
me  at  firsthand  I  think  he  found  me  very  diffident,  to 
say  the  least.  But,  as  he  had  overtaxed  his  eyes,  I 
began  to  read  to  him  ;  and  then,  as  we  became  better 
acquainted,  he  resumed  a  habit  of  his,  as  I  soon 
learned,  of  speaking  in  half-soliloquy  concerning  the 
subjects  that  occupied  his  mind.  He  said  that  an 
invalid  sister  had  indulged  him  in  this  habit,  and  he 
had  tried  to  think  aloud  partly  to  beguile  her  weari 
ness.  But  to  me  it  was  the  revelation  of  the  richest 
and  most  versatile  mind  I  have  ever  known.  At  last 
I  ventured  to  show  my  interest  and  to  ask  some 
questions,  and  then  he  gradually  became  interested 
in  me  for  some  reason." 


LIFE   AND    TRUST.  639 

"  I  can  understand  his  reasons,"  said  Van  Berg 
emphatically. 

"  He  did  not  know  at  first  how  much  time  father 
had  given  me  and  to  what  good  uses  we  had  put  the 
books  we  bad.  Well,  I  must  be  brief.  Every  day 
brought  us  nearer  together,  until  it  seemed  that  we 
shared  our  thoughts  in  common.  I  ought  not  to 
complain,  for  perhaps  in  few  long  lives  does  there 
come  more  happiness  than  was  crowded  in  those  few 
weeks.  It  was  the  happiness  of  heaven — it  was  the 
happiness  of  two  souls  attuned  to  perfect  harmony 
and  ranging  together  the  richest  fields  of  truth  and 
fancy.  Dear  old  father  was  blind  to  it  all,  and  I 
had  scarcely  thought  whither  the  shining  tide  was 
carrying  me  until  last  Tuesday  five  years  ago,  Mr. 
Fleetwood  said  to  me,  '  Jennie,  our  souls  were 
mated  in  heaven,  if  any  ever  were,  and  I  claim  you 
as  the  fulfilment  of  what  must  have  been  a  Divine 
purpose.'  I  found  that  my  heart  echoed  every  word 
he  said. 

"Then  he  appeared  troubled  and  said  that  I  must 
give  him  time  to  untangle  a  snarl  into  which  he  had 
drifted  rather  than  involved  himself.  His  family 
were  wealthy  and  ambitious,  and  they  had  always 
spoken  of  his  marriage  with  a  cousin  who  was  an 
heiress,  as  a  settled  thing.  He  had  never  bound  him 
self  by  word  or  act,  and  often  laughingly  told  his  par 
ents  that  they  could  not  arrange  these  matters  on 
strictly  business  principles,  as  did  aristocrats  abroad — 
that  the  young  lady  herself  might  have  something  to 
say,  if  he  had  not.  But  he  was  wrapt  up  in  his  studies 
— he  was  preparing  for  a  literary  life — and  events 


640  A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

drifted  on  until  he  found  that  every  one  of  his  house 
hold  had  set  their  hearts  on  this  alliance.  All  that  he 
could  say  against  it  was  that  he  was  indifferent.  The 
lady  was  pretty  and  tried  to  make  herself  agreeable  to 
him  ;  while  he  felt  that  they  had  little  in  common, 
and  was  also  led  to  believe  that  she  would  good- 
naturedly  leave  him  to  his  own  pursuits,  and  so  he 
entered  no  protest  to  the  family  schemes,  but  drifted. 
That  was  the  one  defect  of  his  character.  He  was  a 
man  of  thought  and  fancy  rather  than  of  decision  and 
action. 

"When  he  returned  home  and  told  his  parents  of 
his  attachment  for  me,  they  were  furious,  and  wrote 
very  bitter  letters  to  both  father  and  myself,  accusing 
us  of  having  intrigued  to  obtain  a  wealthy  alliance. 
Thank  God  !  father  never  saw  the  letter,  and  died  sud 
denly,  before  he  knew  how  sore  a  wound  I  had  re 
ceived.  Nor  did  I  ever  show  the  letter  to  Mr.  Fleet- 
wood,  for  my  father  had  trained  me  too  well  to  sow 
dissension  between  parents  and  son. 

"'  An  aunt  took  me  to  her  home.  She  was  a  kind- 
hearted  old  lady,  but  very  matter-of-fact  and  wholly 
engrossed  in  her  housekeeping,  and  I  told  her  noth 
ing.  I  waited  till  Mr.  Fleetwood  sought  me  out, 
which  he  soon  did.  I  saw  that  his  family  were  mov 
ing  heaven  and  earth  to  break  off  his  engagement 
with  me,  and  it  evidently  pained  him  deeply  that  he 
must  so  greatly  disappoint  his  parents.  But  the  con 
sideration  that  weighed  most  with  him  was  this  :  they 
urged  upon  him  in  every  possible  way  that  hopes  had 
been  raised  in  the  heart  of  the  young  lady  herself,  and 
although  he  was  always  very  reticent  in  regard  to  her, 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  641 

I  think  she  seconded  the  family  scheme,  for  the  mar 
riage  would  have  joined  two  very  large  estates.  Al 
though  my  heart  often  stood  still  with  fear  while  he 
apparently  wavered  a  little,  I  can  honestly  say  I  left 
him  free  to  make  his  own  choice.  They  persecuted 
and  urged  him  to  that  extent,  and  so  confused  his 
sense  of  right  and  wrong,  that,  in  order  to  escape  from 
his  dilemma,  he  managed  to  get  a  lieutenant's  com 
mission  in  the  army  in  spite  of  his  physician's  protest, 
and  before  his  family  realized  what  they  regarded  as 
an  immeasurable  disaster  he  was  in  the  Union  ranks 
at  the  front.  It  has  proved  an  immeasurable  disaster 
to  me. 

"  He  carne  to  see  me  before  he  went  south,  and 
told  me  that  he  preferred  death  to  any  other  bride 
than  myself.  In  sad  foreboding  I  begged  him  to  give 
me  up  rather  than  go  into  that  awful  war  with  his 
imperfect  health.  But  he  went.  The  rest  of  my 
story  is  soon  told.  Life  in  the  field  seemed  to  brace 
him  up  every  way.  He  wrote  me  that  he  had  lived 
hitherto  in  books  and  dreams,  and  that  contact  with 
strong,  forceful  men  was  just  what  he  needed.  He 
wrote  almost  daily,  and  I  lived  on  his  letters.  He 
grew  strong  and  heroic  in  his  exposure  to  danger  and 
hardship,  and  won  promotion  on  the  simple  ground 
of  merit.  At  last,  after  an  arduous  campaign,  he  was 
slightly  wounded  and  greatly  worn,  and  he  received 
a  long  leave  of  absence  after  the  troops  went  into  win 
ter  quarters.  He  wrote  then  that  he  was  coming  home 
to  marry  me,  and  no  power  on  earth  could  prevent 
it  except  my  '  own  little  self,'  as  he  expressed  it — oh ! 
I  can  repeat  all  those  letters  word  for  word.  He 


642  A  FACE.  ILLUMINED. 

wrote  me  the  very  day  and  hour  on  which  he  would 
start,  and  I  have  waited  ever  since  ;  and  I  have  vowed 
before  God  that  I  will  wait  till  he  comes."  And  she 
bowed  her  head  in  her  hands  and  trembled  violently 
in  her  strong  agitation  ;  but,  when  at  last  she  raised 
her  head,  her  eyes  were  tearless,  and  she  went  on 
still  more  hurriedly.  "  I  afterwards  learned  from  a 
brother  officer,  and  also  from  the  papers,  that  he  left 
his  regimental  headquarters  at  the  time  he  said,  but 
that  he  had  to  ride  through  a  region  infested  with 
guerrillas,  and  that  is  absolutely  all  I  know.  I  am 
sure  he  wrote  to  his  family  of  his  intentions  in  regard 
to  me,  but  they  have  never  recognized  me  in  the 
slightest  way.  The  young  lady  to  whom  they  would 
have  married  him  wore  mourning  a  year,  and  then 
was  led  to  the  altar  by  another  man.  But,  as  my 
Harrold  said,  God  mated  our  souls,  and  I  shall  wait 
till  he  joins  our  lives.  Your  name  startled  me  greatly 
when  I  heard  it  last  June  for  the  first  time  since  I 
had  spoken  it  myself  to  one  who  has  seemingly  van 
ished  but  is  ever  present  to  me,  and  while  you  do 
not  resemble  him  in  appearance  to  any  close  extent, 
there  is  at  times  something  in  your  expression  that 
is  singularly  like  his  ;  and  this  fact  must  explain  and 
excuse  all  the  weak  exhibitions  of  myself  this  sum 
mer.  And  now,  my  friend,  permit  me  to  say  that 
your  rather  ardent  words  on  one  or  two  occasions 
never  deceived  me  for  a  moment.  You  mistook  your 
warm  sympathy  for  love.  I,  who  had  seen  and 
known  the  love  of  Harrold  Fleetwood,  could  not 
make  such  a  mistake.  You  do  love  Ida  Mayhew, 
and  she  is  worthy  ;  and  in  no  possible  way  could  you 


LIFE  AND   TRUST.  643 

do  so  much  to  add  to  my  happiness,  now  and  always, 
as  by  aiding  that  beautiful  girl  develop  her  new  and 
beautiful  life.  Harold  Van  Berg,  I  would  regard  it 
as  an  insult  if  you  ever  spoke  to  me  of  love  and  mar 
riage  after  what  I  have  told  you  to-day.  I  shall  al 
ways  value  your  friendship  very,  very  much,  for  I  am 
now  alone  in  the  world,  and  I  think  I  have  found  in 
you  a  friend  in  whom  I  can  trust  absolutely,  and  to 
whom  I  could  go  in  case  there  should  be  need. 
Probably  there  never  will  be,  for,  in  my  simple,  busy 
life,  I  have  few  wants.  You  may  tell  Mr.  Stanton 
what  you  think  best  of  my  story  after  I  am  gone.  I 
regret  unspeakably  that  he  should  think  of  me  as  he 
does,  for  I  have  learned  to  respect  him  as  a  true, 
noble-hearted  gentleman.  It  is  one  more  of  life's 
strange  mysteries.  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said,  spring 
ing  up,  "  you  have  made  to  me  one  pledge  that  you 
can  keep — only  one.  You  have  promised  to  '  make 
me  happy  in  my  own  way.'  Brave  Ida  Mayhew 
caught  me  in  her  arms  when  I  fainted  last  Tuesday, 
and  she  watched  at  my  side  till  morning.  Yes,  she 
did  ;  the  noble,  generous  girl !  But  I  promised  my 
self  the  pleasure  of  rewarding  her,  if  possible.  Now, 
if  you  wish  to  do  something  for  me  that  demands 
prompt,  heroic  action,  scramble  into  a  buggy  and  let 
one  of  Mr.  Burleigh's  men  drive  you  to  that  old  gar 
den  before  she  leaves  it.  She  found  her  new  spirit 
ual  life  there,  let  her  also  find  her  happy  earthly  life 
in  the  same  loved  place.  Not  a  word,  but  go  at  once 
if  you  have  any  regard  for  my  feelings  and  wishes. 
As  I  have  told  my  story,  your  sympathetic  face  has 
been  more  eloquent  than  any  words,  and  leaves  noth- 


644  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

ing  to  be  said.  I  refuse  to  see  you  or  speak  to  you 
again  till  you  have  fulfilled  the  only  promise  I  ever 
wished  or  asked  you  to  make/'  and  she  left  him  and 
quickly  disappeared. 

Ten  minutes  later  Van  Berg  was  being  driven  to 
wards  Mr.  Eltinge's  place,  at  a  speed  which  threat 
ened,  in  case  of  accident,  to  place  him  beyond  the 
use  of  crutches.  As  he  rode  along  in  front  of  the 
house  he  saw  that  Ida's  old  horse  and  low  phaeton 
were  still  in  the  shade  of  the  trees ;  therefore,  dis 
missing  his  driver,  he  hobbled  with  singular  alacrity 
across  the  lawn  and  suddenly  presented  himself  before 
Mr.  Eltinge  and  Ida,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the 
latter,  who  hastily  wiped  her  eyes  and  sought  to  hide 
the  fact  that  her  thoughts  had  not  been  very  cheer 
ful. 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "  but  I  left  my  sketch 
book  here  some  days  since  ;  and  I  especially  wished 
to  bid  Mr.  Eltinge  good-by  and  to  thank  him  with 
all  the  warmth  and  fulness  that  can  be  put  into 
words." 

Mr.  Eltinge  was  cordially  and  gravely  kind  in  his 
reception,  but  Ida  kept  her  face  averted,  for  she  knew 
that  the  traces  of  grief  were  too  apparent. 

After  a  few  moments  Mr.  Eltinge  said  :  "  Since 
this  is  your  last  visit,  I  cannot  think  of  letting  either 
of  you  go  back  before  dinner,  and,  if  you  will  excuse 
me  for  a  little  time,  I  soon  can  see  that  our  simple 
arrangements  are  made," 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  indeed  to  remain,"  said  Van 
Berg,  so  promptly  that  Ida  turned  and  looked  at  him 
with  surprise.  She  was  still  more  surprised  when, 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  645 

as  soon  as  they  were  alone,  he  hobbled  to  the  rustic 
seat  and  sat  down  beside  her. 

"  Miss  Ida,"  he  said,  "  you  have  always  given  me 
such  admirable  advice  that  I  come  to  you  again.  Miss 
Burton  refuses  me  absolutely  and  irrevocably,  and 
in  language  that  renders  it  impossible  for  me  e.ver  to 
address  her  again  on  the  subject.  You  thus  perceive 
what  a  forlorn  object  is  before  you — a  rejected  man 
and  a  cripple  !  " 

"  Miss  Burton  refused  you !  "  exclaimed  Ida  in 
utter  amazement.  "  You  were  but  a  cold  wooer,  I 
imagine,"  she  added  reproachfully,  and  she  rose  from 
the  seat  and  stood  aloof  from  him. 

"You  know  well,  Miss  Ida,"  he  said  earnestly, 
"  that  a  falsehood  would  be  impossible  in  this  place, 
and  I  assure  you  I  honestly  did  the  best  I  could.  We 
have  plighted  our  faith  in  a  friendship  that  will  be  a 
brother's  love  on  my  part,  but  she  said  solemnly  that 
she  would  regard  offers  of  marriage  from  me,  now 
or  at  any  future  time,  as  an  insult.  In  brief,  she  has 
at  last  told  me  her  story.  Her  lover  is  dead,  and  it 
was  because  she  detected  certain  resemblances  in 
my  appearance  to  him  that  she  looked  at  me  some 
times  in  the  way  you  described.  I  had  surmised 
as  much  before,  but  at  one  time  hoped  that  this 
accidental  resemblance  might  give  me  a  vantage- 
ground  in  winning  her  from  a  past  that  I  knew  must 
have  been  very  sad  indeed.  My  resemblance  was 
only  an  outward  one,  the  man  himself  was  immeas 
urably  my  superior,  and  on  the  principle  of  con 
trast  alone  Jennie  Burton  could  never  think  of  me. 
But  her  love  for  Harrold  Fleetwood  is  her  life.  It 


646  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

is  a  strange,  unearthly  devotion  that  time  only  in 
creases.  I  felt  weeks  since  that  I  could  worship  her 
as  a  saint  far  easier  than  I  could  love  her  as  a  woman, 
and  I  now  know  the  reason.  It  would  indeed  be  an 
insult  for  any  man  to  speak  to  her  of  love  and  mar 
riage,  if  he  knew  what  I  have  learned  to-day." 

"  Then  poor  Cousin  Ik  has  no  chance  either,"  said 
Ida,  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  No,  I  do  not  think  he  has,  although  she  has 
learned  to  appreciate  him.  She  spoke  of  him  as  a 
*  true,  noble-hearted  gentleman,'  and  such  terms 
from  the  lips  of  a  woman  like  Jennie  Burton  are 
better  than  a  king's  title.  As  far  as  my  complacent 
and  deliberate  wooing  of  last  summer  is  concerned,  I 
believe  that  when  it  did  not  pain  and  annoy  her  she 
was  rather  amused  by  it.  She  had  seen  the  genuine 
thing,  you  know,  and  thus  I  was  the  only  one  im 
posed  upon  by  a  sentiment  which  at  the  time  re 
ceived  the  unqualified  approval  of  my  infallible  reason 
and  judgment.  The  very  superior  Mr.  Harold  Van 
Berg  once  declined  your  acquaintance,  as  you  may 
remember.  Take  your  full  revenge  upon  him  now, 
for  you  see  to  what  a  battered  and  dilapidated  con 
dition  of  body  and  mind  he  has  been  reduced.  He 
has  developed  a  genius  for  blundering  and  getting 
himself  and  other  people  into  trouble,  that  is  quite 
sublime.  If  ever  a  man  needed  daily  advice  and 
counsel,  he  does,  and  the  incalculable  service  that 
you  have  rendered  him  in  this  respect  leads  him  to 
come  to  you  again." 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  said  Ida,  turning  away  with  a  crim 
son  face,  "  I  have  no  further  advice  to  give  you. 


LIFE  AND   TRUST.  647 

Mr.  Eltinge  will  soon  be  back  ;  take  him  as  your 
counsellor.  I'm  going  to  gather  some  flowers  for 
dinner." 

He  at  once  was  on  his  crutches  and  in  close  pur 
suit,  but  she  flitted  away  before  him  till  in  despair  he 
returned  to  the  rustic  seat.  Then  she  shyly  and  hesi 
tatingly  began  to  approach,  apparently  absorbed  in 
tying  up  her  flowers. 

"  Haven't  you  observed  that  I  am  a  cripple  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"I  have  observed  that  you  are  a  very  nimble  one." 

"  I  think  you  are  very  cruel  to  treat  a  helpless  man 
in  this  style." 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  have  not  taken  away  your  crutches. 
When  you  spoke  of  a  helpless  man,  to  whom  did  you 
refer?" 

"  I  thought  you  once  said  that  mercy  was  '  twice 
bless'd.'  " 

"  That's  a  truism  that  has  become  a  little  trite. 
Don't  you  think  Mr.  Eltinge  will  like  my  bouquet  ?  " 

"  Here  is  a  flower  that  to  me  is  worth  all  that 
ever  bloomed.  Come  and  tell  me  if  you  still  recog 
nize  it,"  and  he  took  out  the  little  note-book  in 
which  was  pressed  the  imperfect  and  emblematic 
rose-bud. 

"  Poor  little  thing  !  "  Ida  sighed,  looking  over  his 
shoulder,  "  how  faded  it  has  become  !  " 

By  a  motion  that  was  almost  instantaneous  he 
dropped  the  note-book  and  caught  her  hand.  "  Yes, 
Ida,"  he  said  eagerly,  "  it  is  faded,  but  it  grows 
dearer  to  me  daily,  as  you  will  long  after  the  exqui 
site  color  has  faded  from  your  face,  Ida  Mayhew, 


648  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

the  brook  has  stopped  now  because  it  cannot  help  it 
self,  nor  will  it  ever  go  on  again,  even  in  spring  or 
summer,  unless  it  bears  you  away  with  it." 

She  turned  and  looked  him  full  in  his  eyes,  in  ac 
cordance  with  her  custom  when  she  felt  that  she  must 
know  the  innermost  thoughts  of  the  speaker. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,"  she  said  very  gravely,  "  let  that 
little  emblem  there  remind  you  that  you  are  speaking 
to  a  very  faulty  and  ignorant  girl.  I  cannot  regain 
in  a  few  weeks  what  I  have  lost  in  a  wasted  life.  You 
may  regret " 

"Hush,  Ida;  for  once  I  will  not  listen  to  you. 
When  I  believed  myself  dying  my  chief  thought  was 
of  you,  and  when  I  heard  sounds  near  me,  in  my  half 
unconscious  state  I  called  your  name." 

"  Oh,  that  it  had  been  my  privilege  to  answer,"  she 
sighed. 

"  You  saved  me  when  I  was  in  far  worse  peril,"  he 
resumed  in  words  that  flowed  like  a  torrent.  "  You 
saved  my  honor,  my  manhood  ;  you  saved  me  from 
folly  that  would  have~blasted  my  life.  I  owe  far  more 
to  you  than  to  Jennie  Burton,  and  I  know  at  what 
cost  to  yourself.  Ida,  I  shall  never  hide  anything 
from  you.  I  came  back  last  Monday  for  my  sketch 
book,  and  I  heard  you  say :  '  It  would  be  easier  for 
me  to  die  than. give  him  up  for  your  sake,  Jennie 
'Burton.'  Then  only  I  learned  your  secret;  then 
for  the  first  I  understood  your  self-sacrifice  for  the 
sake  of  honor  and  duty.  Until  then  I  had  thought 
the  struggle  to  forget  would  be  on  my  part  only. 
From  that  moment  never  did  a  man  honor  a  woman 
more  than  I  honor  and  reverence  you.  My  mother 


LIFE  AND    TRUST. 

gave  me  this  ring  and  told  me  never  to  part  with  it 
until  I  found  a  woman  that  I  could  love  and  honor 
even  more  than  her,  and  I  never  shall  part  with  it  till 
I  put  it  on  your  hand,"  and  she  had  scarcely  time  to 
glance  down,  before  she  saw  a  diamond  glittering  on 
her  engagement  finger. 

11 1  gave  up  that  which  was  life  to  me  for  His  sake, 
and  thus  soon  He  gives  back  to  me  far  more,"  Ida 
murmured,  and  she  rested  her  head  on  Van  Berg's 
shoulder  with  a  look  of  infinite  content.  A  moment 
later  she  added  :  "  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  for  father's  sake." 

"  Are  you  not  a  little  glad  for  your  own  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Harold  !  compare  this — God's  way  out  of 
trouble  with  the  one  I  chose  !  " 

"  The  past  has  gone  by  forever,  Ida,  and  you  have 
received  your  woman's  soul  in  the  good  old-fashioned 
way.  In  my  heart  of  hearts  I  have  changed  your 
name  from  Ida  to  Ideal." 

They  had  not  noticed  that  Mr.  Eltinge  had  come 
down  the  garden  walk  to  summon  them  to  dinner. 
The  old  gentleman  discovered  that  there  had  been  a 
transformation  scene  in  his  absence,  although  he  took 
off  his  spectacles  twice,  and  wiped  them  before  he 
seemed  fully  satisfied  of  its  reality. 

"  Ahem  !  I  fear  our  plain  dinner  will  be  a  very 
prosaic  interruption  ;  but "  he  began. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Eltinge,"  cried  Ida,  springing  to  him, 
her  cheeks  putting  to  shame  any  flower  of  his  gar 
den,  "  I  owe  all  this  to  you  !  " 

"Mr.  Van  Berg,"  said  Mr.  Eltinge,  with  the 
stately  courtesy  of  the  old  school,  "  with  your  per 
mission  I  now  shall  take  full  payment,"  and  stooping 
28 


650  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

down  he  kissed  her  tenderly,  With  a  fervent  "  God 
bless  you,  my  child  !  God  bless  you  both  !  I  thought 
it  would  all  end  in  this  way." 

It  was  late  in  the  day  when  Ida  drove  up  to  the 
steps  of  the  Lake  House  and  assisted  Van  Berg  to 
alight  with  a  care  and  solicitude  that  Stanton,  who 
was  grimly  watching  them,  thought  a  trifle  too  ap 
parent.  She  gave  a  hasty  side-glance  to  her  cousin, 
but  would  not  trust  herself  to  do  more  in  the  pres 
ence  of  others. 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg,  I  would  like  to  see  you  alone  a 
few  moments,"  said  Stanton  in  a  low  tone. 

The  artist  hobbled  cheerfully  into  one  of  the  small 
private  parlors,  and  stretched  himself  out  very  luxuri 
ously  on  the  sofa,  saying  as-  he  did  so,  "  Take  the 
rocking-chair,  Ik." 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Stanton  stiffly.  "  I  shall  trespass 
but  a  few  moments  on  your  time — only  long  enough 
to  keep  a  promise  and  perform  a  duty.  In  circum 
stances  that  you  can  scarcely  have  forgotten,  you 
assured  me  that  I  was  in  honor  bound  to  give  my 
cousin,  Miss  Mayhew,  a  brother's  care.  You  as 
serted  very  emphatically  that  with  her  peculiar  tem 
perament  she  ought  to  be  saved  from  any  serious 
trouble.  What  I  then  promised  from  a  sense  of 
duty  I  now  perform  from  warm  affection.  As  far  as  a 
brother's  love  and  care  is  concerned,  Ida  Mayhew  is 
my  sister,  and  as  a  brother  I  insist,  in  view  of  your 
relations  with  Miss  Burton,  that  you  do  not  give  to 
her  so  much  of  your  society.  Not  that  I  mean  to 
insinuate  in  the  faintest  possible  way,  that  my  cou 
sin  entertains  for  you  anything  more  than  an  ordi- 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  651 

nary  and  friendly  regard.  It  is  my  intention  only  to 
remind  you  that  your  course  has  been  a  little  pecu 
liar  of  late,  to  say  the  least,  and  that  it  is  often  far 
better  to  prevent  trouble  than  to  remedy  it." 

"  The  mischief  is  all  done,  Ik  ;  you  are  too  late." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  " 

"  Well,  one  thing  at  a  time.  Miss  Burton  has  re 
fused  me  absolutely." 

"  I  don't  wonder  !  "  said  Stanton  indignantly. 

"Nor  I  either,  Ik.  You  are  a  hundredfold  more 
worthy  of  her  than  I  am  or  ever  was.  I  once  re 
garded  myself  as  slightly  your  superior,  Isaac,  but 
circumstances  have  proved  that  you  have  enough 
good  metal  in  you  to  make  a  dozen  such  men  as  I 
am." 

"  I  want  explanations,  not  compliments,"  said 
Stanton  sternly. 

li  Sit  down,  and  I'll  tell  you  everything.  Then 
you  can  brain  me  with  one  of  my  crutches,  if  you 
wish,"  and  Van  Berg  related  to  Stanton  substan 
tially  all  that  occurred  between  himself  and  Jennie 
Burton.  "  She  said  I  could  tell  you  after  she  was 
gone,  but  I  think  it  is  best  you  should  know  before. 
She  understands  and  honors  you,  and  you  should 
understand  her.  Her  heart  is  buried  so  deep  in 
some  unnamed,  unmarked  grave  that  it  will  find,  I 
fear,  no  resurrection  on  earth.  I  told  you  the  first 
day  she  came  to  this  house  that  she  had  had  an  ex 
perience  that  separated  her  from  ordinary  humanity, 
and  also  predicted  that  she  would  wake  you  up  and 
make  a  man  of  you.  She  has  made  you  a  prince 
among  men.  You  are  my  elder  brother,  Ik,  from 


652  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

this  time  forth,  and  I  won't  put  on  any  more  airs 
with  you.  As  I  said,  your  remarks  in  regard  to 
your  cousin  came  a  little  late.  You  see,  my  ring  is 
gone,  and  you  know  I  have  often  laughingly  told 
you  that  my  mother  gave  it  to  me  on  conditions  that 
made  it  very  safe  property.  I  have  parted  with  it, 
however,  and  very  honestly  too  ;  but  you  will  see  it 
again,  soon." 

"  Van,"  said  Stanton,  with  a  slight  quaver  in  his 
voice,  and  a  very  sickly  attempt  at  his  old  humor, 
'"  I  have  forfeited  my  wager  that  followed  your  pre 
diction,  which  I  thought  so  absurd  at  the  time  ;  but 
I'll  forgive  you  everything,  and  bestow  my  blessing 
on  you  and  Ida,  if  you  will  paint  me  a  portrait  of 
Miss  Burton." 

"  The  best  I  can  possibly  make,  Ik,  and  she  shall 
look  as  she  did  when  she  called  you  a  true,  noble- 
hearted  gentleman." 

Van  Berg  now  found  no  difficulty  in  bringing 
about  a  friendship  between  Ida  and  Jennie  Burton, 
and  the  two  maidens  spent  the  greater  part  of  Sab 
bath  afternoon  together.  Ida  hid  nothing  in  her  full 
confidence,  not  even  the  crime  that  had  been  in  her 
thoughts,  and  which  might  have  destroyed  the  life  that 
now  was  growing  so  rich  and  beautiful.  When  her 
pathetic  story  was  completed,  Jennie  said  : 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg  has  told  me  some  things  in  your 
favor  that  you  have  omitted.  I  cannot  flatter  my 
self  now  that  my  love  is  stronger  than  yours,  but  you 
are  stronger,  you  are  braver.  What  is  the  secret  of 
your  strength  ?  Your  religion  seems  to  do  you 
more  good  than  mine  does  me." 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  653 

"  Weli,  Jennie,"  said  Ida  musingly,  there  seems 
to  me  this  difference.  "  You  have  a  God,  I  have  a 
Saviour  ;  you  have  a  faith,  I  have  a  tender  and  help 
ful  Friend.  Jesus  Christ  has  said  to  those  who  love 
and  trust  him  :  *  Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled.' 
He  said  these  words  to  men  who  were  to  suffer  all 
things,  and  did  so,  Mr.  Eltinge  told  me.  It's  just 
the  same  as  if  he  said,  You  don't  know,  I  do  ;  leave 
everything  to  me,  and  it  shall  all  be  for  the  best  in 
the  end.  See  how  all  my  trouble  this  summer  has 
just  prepared  for  this  happiness,  and  I  believe, 
Jennie,  that  your  eternity  of  happiness  will  be  made 
all  the  richer  for  every  sad  day  of  your  unselfish  life. 
The  souls  of  such  men  as  Harrold  Fleetwood  are 
God's  richest  treasures,  and  he  whose  name  is  Love 
surely  kindled  such  love  as  yours  and  his.  The  God 
that  the  Bible  reveals  to  me  will  not  permit  it  to  be 
lost,"  and  with  Jennie's  head  on  her  bosom  she  sang 
low  and  sweetly  : 

No  hope,  'tis  said,  though  buried  deep, 
But  angels  o'er  it  vigils  keep ; 
No  love  in  sepulchre  shall  stay, 
For  Christ  our  Friend  has  rolled  away 
The  heavy  stone  of  death. 

"  Oh,  sing  me  those  words' again,"  sobbed  Jennie  : 
"  sing  them  again  and  again,  till  they  fill  my  heart 
with  hope." 

Ida  did  so. 

"  O  Ida!  God's  good  angel  to  me  as  well  as  to 
Harold  Van  Berg,"  said  Jennie,  smiling"  through  her 
tears.  "  I  bless  you  for  those  hopeful  words.  They 


654  A   PACE   ILLUMINED. 

will  repeat  themselves  in  my  heart  till  all  is  clear, 
and  our  souls  that  God  mated  are  joined  again.  My 
Harrold  was  not  one  who  said  *  Lord,  Lord '  very 
often,  but  I  know  that  he  tried  to  '  do  the  will  of  his 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.'  I  am  going  to  your 
Friend,  Ida,  for  if  ever  a  poor  mortal  needed  more 
than  mortal  help  and  cheer,  I  do.  I  shall  just  give 
up  everything  into  his  hands,  and  wait  patiently." 

"  The  life  he  will  give  you  again,  Jennie,  will  be 
infinitely  richer  than  the  one  you  have  lost." 

Early  in  the  following  week  Miss  Burton  returned 
to  her  college  duties.  Before  parting  she  said  to 
Ida  :  "  I  do  not  think  I  shall  ever  give  way  again  to 
my  old,  bitter,  heart-breaking  grief." 

Almost  every  one  in  the  house  wanted  to  shake 
hands  with  her  in  farewell.  Poor  Mr.  Burleigh  tried 
to  disguise  his  feelings  by  putting  crape  on  his  hat 
and  tying  a  black  shawl  of  his  wife's  around  his  arm  ; 
but  he  blew  his  nose  so  often  that  he  finally  said  he 
was  "  taking  cold  on  the  piazza,"  and  so  made  a 
hasty  retreat. 

Ida  and  Van  Berg  accompanied  Jennie  to  the 
depot,  but  Stanton  was  not  to  be  found  till  they 
reached  the  station,  when  he  quietly  stepped  forward 
and  handed  Jennie  her  checks.  She  was  trying  to  say 
something  that  she  meant  should .  show  her  appreci 
ation,  when  the  train  thundered  up,  and  he  handed 
her  into  a  palace  car>  in  which  she  found  he  had  se 
cured  her  a  seat,  and  before  she  had  time  to  say 
a  word  her  tickets  were  in  her  hands  and  he  was 
gone. 

When,  after  several  hours'  riding,  she  approached  a 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  655 

station  at  which  she  must  change  cars  and  recheck  her 
trunks,  a  friendly  voice  said  to  her  : 

"  Miss  Burton,  if  you  will  give  me  your  checks  I 
will  attend  to  this  little  matter  for  you." 

"  Mr.  Stanton  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  What  does 
this  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means  that  since  I  am  on  the  same  train  with 
you,  I  can  do  no  less  than  offer  so  slight  a  service." 

She  looked  at  him  very  doubtfully,  as  she  said  : 
"  I  don't  know  what  to  think  of  this  journey  of  yours. 
Let  me  now  pay  you  for  my  ticket." 

"  Mr.  Van  Berg  handed  me  the  money  you  gave 
him  for  that  purpose.  It's  all  right.  Your  checks, 
please  ;  there  is  but  little  time." 

His  manner  was  so  quiet  and  assured,  that  she 
handed  them  to  him  hesitatingly,  and  a  moment  later 
stepped  out  on  the  platform. 

In  a  few  moments  she  called  :  "  Oh,  Mr.  Stanton, 
you  have  lost  your  train." 

"  Not  at  all.  I  am  going  to  Boston.  There  are 
your  checks  once  more,  and  here  is  your  train  and 
seat,"  he  added,  as  he  accompanied  her  to  it.  Then 
he  lifted  his  hat,  and  was  about  to  depart,  when  she 
said  :  "  Since  you  are  on  the  same  train,  perhaps  you 
will  venture  to  take  this  seat  near  me.  I  never  was 
curious  about  a  gentleman's  business  before  ;  but  it 
strikes  me  as  a  rather  odd  coincidence  that  you  are 
going  to  Boston  to-day." 

"  A  great  many  people  go  to  Boston,"  he  replied. 

"  It's  for  my  sake  you  are  taking  this  long  journey, 
Mr.  Stanton,"  she  said,  regretfully. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  in  the  same  quiet,  undemonstra* 


656  A  FACE  ILLUMINED. 

tive  manner  that  he  had  maintained  towards  her  for 
some  weeks  past ;  "  this  journey  is  for  your  sake,  and 
for  your  sake  I  shall  take  a  very  different  journey 
through  life  from  the  one  I  had  marked  out  for  my 
self.  I  know  your  sad  story,  Miss  Burton.  I  expect 
nothing  from  you,  I  hope  for  nothing,  and  I  shall 
never  ask  anything,  except  a  little  confidence  on 
your  part,  so  that  I  can  render  you  an  occasional  ser 
vice.  Never  for  a  moment  imagine  that  I  am  cher 
ishing  hopes  that  I  know  well  you  cannot  reward." 

"  Mr.  Stanton,  this  is  beyond  my  comprehen 
sion  !  " 

"  There  seems  to  me  nothing  strange  or  unnatural 
in  it,"  he  said.  "  You  found  me  a  pleasure-loving 
animal,  and  through  your  influence  I  think  I  am  be 
coming  somewhat  different.  You  have  taught  me  that 
there  is  a  higher  and  better  world  than  that  of  sense. 
How  good  a  work  I  can  do  in  life  I  will  let  the  years 
prove  as  they  pass.  But  I  do  not  think  my  feelings 
will  ever  change  towards  you,  save  as  time  deepens 
and  strengthens  them.  Van  thinks  all  the  world  of 
you,  as  well  he  may  ;  but  his  life  will  be  very  happy 
and  full  of  many  interests.  I  shall  think  of  you  alone, 
and  the  work  I  do  for  your  sake  until  I  can  add 
another  motive.  Of  course  I  believe  in  a  heaven  — 
such  lives  as  yours  make  one  necessary  ;  and  I  mean 
to  find  a  way  of  getting  there.  In  the  meantime,  you 
are  my  motive  ;  but  my  regard  for  you  shall  be  so 
very  unobtrusive  that  I  trust  you  will  not  resent  it, 
and  the  thought  of  my  unseen  care  and  watchfulness 
may  in  time  come  to  be  a  pleasant  one." 

There  was  nothing  in  his  tone  or  manner  to  indi- 


LIFE  AND    TRUST.  657 

cate  to  their  fellow-travelers  that  he  was  not  speak 
ing  on  the  most  ordinary  topic  ;  and  he  looked  her 
full  in  the  face  with  his  clear  dark  eyes,  in  which  she 
saw  only  truth  and  faithfulness. 

She  was  very,  very  deeply  touched,  and  she  could 
not  keep  the  tears  out  of  her  eyes  as  she  leaned 
towards  him  and  said  in  tones  that  no  others  could 
hear  : 

"  I  am  no  longer  the  friendless  orphan  I  was  when 
I  came  to  the  Lake  House.  In  Mr.  Van  Berg  I  have 
found  a  friend  whom  I  can  trust ;  in  you,  Ik  Stanton, 
a  brother  that  I  can  love." 

If  the  reader's  patience  has  not  failed  him  up  to 
this  long-deferred  moment,  it  shall  now  be  rewarded 
by  a  few  brief,  concluding  words. 

Mrs.  Mayhew  felt  considerably  aggrieved  that  she 
had  had  so  little  part  in  Ida's  engagement  with  the 
wealthy  and  aristocratic  Mr.  Van  Berg,  and  in  later 
years  she  complained  that  they  were  very  unfashion 
able,  and  spent  an  unreasonable  amount  of  time  in 
looking  after  all  kinds  of  charitable  institutions.  Mr. 
Mayhew  drank  ever  deeper  at  the  full  fountain  of  his 
child's  love,  and  is  serenely  passing  on  to  an  honora 
ble  old  age.  Mr.  Eltinge  is  now  beyond  age  and 
weakness,  but  Ida  often  murmurs  with  tears  in 
her  eyes  as  she  looks  at  his  portrait,  "  He  is  just 
speaking  to  me  as  he  did  when  my  heart  was  break 
ing."  Stanton's  city  friends  say  that  he  has  greatly 
changed  and  might  stand  very  high  as  a  lawyer  and 
politician  if  he  were  not  so  quixotic  and  prone  to 
take  cases  in  which  there  was  no  money,  but  he  re 
ceives  letters  from  New  England  which  seem  to 
28* 


658  A   FACE  ILLUMINED. 

compensate  him  for  lack  of  large  fees.  Van  Berg 
has  not  yet  regretted  that  he  entrusted  *  faulty  Ida 
Mayhew  "  with  his  happiness,  and  he  is  more  anx 
ious  than  ever  to  lure  her  to  his  studio.  For  a  long 
time  he  had  to  take  the  truth  of  her  faith  on  trust, 
but  at  last  he  stood  by  her  side  at  God's  altar  and 
confessed  that  Name  which  has  been  the  lowliest  and 
grandest  of  earth. 

Ida  is  still  very  human,  but  with  all  her  faults,  her 
husband  often  whispers  in  her  ear:  "  Not  Ida,  but 
Ideal."  She  is  continually  giving  up  her  life  for 
Christ's  sake,  and  as  often  finds  it  coming  back  to 
her  in  some  richer,  sweeter  form  ;  and  by  her  simple, 
joyous  faith  has  led  many  to  the  Friend  she  found  in 
the  quaint  old  garden,  and  who  says  of  all  who  come, 
"  I  will  give  unto  them  eternal  life." 

Jennie  Burton  is  still  waiting ;  but  at  the  end  of 
each  day  of  faithful  work  she  sings  the  song  of  hope 
that  Ida  taught  her  : 

No  hope,  'tis  said,  though  buried  deep, 
But  angels  o'er  it  vigils  keep ; 
No  love  in  sepulchre  shall  stay, 
For  Christ  my  Friend  will  roll  away 
The  heavy  stone  of  death. 


THE  END. 


E.  P.  ROE'S  POPULAR  STORIES. 

A  KNIGHT  OF  THE  XlXra  CENTURY. 

Price,  $1,50, 

"In  the  delineation  of  character,  which  enters  into  the  development  of 
the  plot,  Mr.  Roe  shows  his  greatest  strength ;  his  characters  are  portrayed 
in  lively  colors  and  with  excellent  effect.  This  preserves  the  narrative  from 
the  monotony  and  commonplace  which  can  scarcely  be  avoided  in  ethical 
fictions,  and  is  the  secret  of  its  success." — New  York  Tribune. 

"  It  is  a  book  which  those  who  begin  will  be  pretty  sure  to  finish,  deriving 
from  it  a  new  impulse  to  the  truest  knighthood." — Harpers  Magazine. 

"It  is  eminently  thoughtful,  admirably  constructed,  and  thoroughly 
interesting  from  cover  to  cover." — Philadelphia  Saturday  Evening  Post. 

"  The  whole  tone  of  the  work  is  manly  and  healthful.  It  is  thoroughly 
noble  in  all  its  teachings  and  tendencies." — Utica  Herald. 

' '  The  most  charming  book  yet  produced  by  Mr.  Roe,  and  one  of  the 
very  best  of  its  class  ever  written." — Christian  Advocate. 

"  Enhances  the  author's  already  well-established  reputation.  Mr.  Roe  is 
sensational,  but  to  a  degree  that  is  not  unhealthy,  and  his  books  will  be  less 
ephemeral  than  the  general  run  of  religious  novels." — Springfield  Republican. 

"This  book  contains  the  elements  of  perfect  work,  clearness  and 
brilliancy  of  style,  conciseness  and  beauty  of  expression,  a  good  plot,  an 
entertaining  story,  and  a  most  excellent  moral." — Christian  Intelligencer. 

"  The  characters  are  drawn  to  the  life."—  Christian  Union. 

"Mr.  Roe's  style  is  never  commonplace." — Boston  Coiirier. 

"  He  has  greatly  improved  in  the  art  of  telling  a  story." — New  York 
Evening  Post. 

u  His  stories  are  uniformly  of  intense  interest." — Boston  Home  Journal, 


FROM    THE    ENGLISH    PRESS. 

"  Mr.  Roe  has  proved  successfully  that  a  book  may  be  written  with  a 
purpose — and  a  religious  purpose,  too — and  yet  not  be  dull." — Academy. 

"There  is  a  crispness  of  style,  a  freshness  of  plot,  a  tenderness  of 
sympathy,  displayed  in  this  book  which  altogether  makes  it  pne  of  the  most 
attractive  we  have  recently  read.  The  volume  may  be  placed  in  the  hands  of 
young  men  with  the  greatest  confidence,  and  it  teaches  many  a  needful  lesson 
to  Christian  men  and  women." — Christian  World. 

"  The  story  is  a  good  one.  .  .  .  The  religion  which  it  commends  to 
its  readers  is  of  a  genuine,  practical  kind." — Spectator. 

"We  heartily  commend  the  book  to  our  readers;  it  is  fresh,  it  il 
interesting,  its  story  is  exceedingly  well  told,  and  its  tone  is  of  the  highest."— 
Watchman. 

i    DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 
751  BROADWAY,  N.  Y. 


E.  P.  ROE'S  POPULAR  STORIES. 
NEAR  TO  NATURE'S  HEART. 

Price,  $1,50, 

"  His  heroine  absorbs  the  main  interest  of  the  plot.  She  is  a  pure  child 
of  Nature,  with  a  limited  experience  of  life,  and  none  of  society ;  but  her 
artless  character  combines  a  treasure  of  noble  principle,  womanly  devotion, 
and  high-souled  conduct,  which  is  rarely  found  among  the  fruits  of  the 
choicest  culture.  Mr.  Roe  has  no  small  sense  of  humor,  and  in  the  course  of 
the  story  makes  excellent  use  of  Irish  oddities  and  the  Irish  dialect  to  enliven 
the  scene." — New  York  Tribune. 

"  The  stirring  scenes  of  the  Revolution  afford  ample  material  for 
dramatic  incidents,  which  are  skilfully  employed.  Vera  is  by  far  the  most 
original  of  Mr.  Roe's  conceptions,  and  is  drawn  with  very  decided  artistic 
skill." — Harper's  Magazine. 

"  The  half  insane  outlaw,  the  gentle  and  devoted  wife,  the  one  noble  and 
beautiful  daughter,  and  old  Gula  the  African,  together  form  a  remarkable 
group." — New  York  Observer. 

"For  while  he  tells  a  story  admirably  well,  and  paints  character  with 
the  skill  of  a  master,  he  carefully  eschews  sensationalism." — Albany  Evening 
Journal. 

"  The  plot  is  sufficiently  complex,  the  story  is  told  smoothly,  and  its 
interest  is  well  sustained  throughout.  His  views  are  broadly  catholic,  and 
his  notions  of  morality  and  right  living  are  thoroughly  sound  and  whole 
some." — Evening  Post. 

"  In  its  plot  it  is  original ;  in  its  diction  it  is  eminently  smooth  and 
graceful;  and  in  its  moral  it  is  above  all  praise." — Boston  Evening  Tele 
graph. 

"  The  best  of  the  author's  stories." — Christian   Union. 

"  Mr.  Roe  is  one  of  the  most  successful  of  American  story  writers,  and 
his  last  effort  is  an  advance  on  his  earlier  books.  A  large  amount  of  military 
history  is  woven  into  the  narrative,  giving  the  work  a  certain  solid  value. 
Larry,  Saville's  servant,  makes  fun  for  the  million,  his  lusty  wife,  Molly, 
aiding  him  in  no  small  degree.  The  book  is  well  written  and  deeply 
interesting." — Boston  Literary  World. 

"  The  avidity  and  delight  with  which  Mr.  Roe's  books  are  read  is  a  most 
hopeful  sign,  and  shows  that  people  will  read  what  is  good  for  them  if  only 
they  can  get  it." — Advance,  Chicago. 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 
751  BROADWAY,  N.   Y. 


E.  P.  ROE'S  POPULAR  STORIES. 
BARRIERS  BURNED  AWAY. 

Price,  $1,50, 

"  When  so  much  trashy  and  soul  enervating  literature  is  issued  under 
the  head  of  religious  novels,  it  is  refreshing  to  see  one  like  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Roe's  Barriers  Burned  Away,  written  with  an  earnest  purpose.  Sensational, 
and  yet  to  good  effects — inartistic,  as  might  be  looked  for  in  the  young 
author's  first  attempt,  and  yet  unhackneyed,  lively  and  fascinating." — 
Sp>  ingfield  Republican. 

"  The  characters  are  delineated  with  truthfulness  and  consistency.  In 
their  conception  the  author  shows  equal  originality  and  boldness.  Even 
Old  Bill  Cronk,  the  rough,  hard-swearing,  hard-drinking,  big-fisted,  big- 
hearted  Western  drover,  could  not  be  spared  from  the  scene. — New  York 
Tnbune." 

"  We  congratulate  Mr.  Roe  upon  his  story  of  the  day."—  New  York 
Observer. 


FROM  JEST  TO  EARNEST. 

Price,  $1,50, 

"  His  plots  are  never  commonplace.  The  change  in  Lottie's  char 
acter  is  well  delineated,  and  with  a  naturalness  and  artistic  skill  which  we  do 
not  often  find  in  the  so-called  religious  novels." — Harper's  Magazine. 

"  It  is  surprising  to  find  how  genuinely  interesting  his  stories  always  are. 
There  is  nothing  of  the  vulgarly  sensational  about  them." — Eclectic  Mag. 

"  Mr.  Roe's  books  are  religious  novels  in  perhaps  the  best  sense  of  the 
term." — Zion's  Herald,  Boston. 

"  A  simple,  pure  story,  such  us  Mr.  Roe  has  always  written,  is  one  of 
the  most  potent  vehicles  of  moral  and  religious  training  that  can  be  em 
ployed." — Buffalo  Daily  Courier. 

"  Mr.  Roe's  works  have  had  a  fine,  noble  purpose,  each  and  all.  The 
present  story  is  an  excellent  one — of  high  tone  and  deep  religious  strength." 
— Boston  Evening  Traveler. 

"  It  is  a  thoroughly  good  story  because  pervaded  by  an  influence 
thoroughly  pure." — Am.  Rural  Home. 

"The  hero  is  simple,  strong,  and  manly;  much  such  a  man  as  Mr. < 
Lincoln  must  have  been  had  he  turned  his  attention  to  theology  instead 
of  politics. " — New  York  World. 

"  A  bright,  vivacious  story,  full  of  wit  and  even  frolic." — Portland  Tran 
script. 

•  He  vindicates  his  right  to  use  the  talent  which  God  has  given  him  fox 
the  instruction  and  interest  of  the  thousands  who  read  his  works." — 
New  York  Evangelist. 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 
751  BROADWAY,  N.  Y. 


E.  P.  ROE'S  POPULAR  STORIES. 

WHAT  CAN  SHE  Do? 

Price,  $1.50, 

"  The  moral  purpose  of  this  book  is  amply  worthy  of  the  author'f 
teal.  It  is  that  young  women  should  be  educated  in  such  a  way  that  if  left 
without  money  they  shall  be  able  to  support  themselves.  Mr.  Roe  is 
especially  severe  on  our  American  vice  of  'pride  of  occupation.'" — N.  Y. 
Evening  Post.  .  Xj 

"  We  consider  that  parents  are  indebted  to  the  author  for  the  most 
practical  story  of  the  day." — Philadelphia  Age. 

"  His  works  have  an  honest,  healthy  tone,  and  a  purpose.  His  nar- 
tative  is  full  of  interest — in  the  present  case  unusually  so.  We  must  not 
forget  in  particular  to  allude  to  his  always  charming  bits  of  country  life  j 
his  gardening  at  once  poetic  and  profitable." — N.  Y.  Evening  Express. 

"The  narrative  is  fascinating." — Chicago  Advance. 

"  An  exceedingly  well-written  story." — Churchman. 


OPENING  OF  A  CHESTNUT  BURR. 

Price,  $1,60, 

"  In  The  Opening  of  a  Chestnut  Burr,  Mr.  Roe  has  made  a  marked 
advance  upon  his  two  previous  stories.  He  has  already  exhibited  a  remark 
able  power  of  description,  which  in  this  volume  he  uses  with  good  effect  in 
the  scenes  of  fire  and  shipwreck.  It  is  thoroughly  religious,  thoroughly 
Christian  both  in  tone  and  teaching  " — Harper's  Magazine. 

"  The  character  of  the  selfish,  morbid,  cynical  hero,  and  his  gradual 
transformation  under  the  influence  of  the  sweet  and  high-spirited  heroine,  are 
portrayed  with  a  masculine  firmness,  which  is  near  akin  to  power,  and  some 
of  the  conversations  are  animated  and  admirable." — Atlantic  Monthly. 

"  The  most  able  story  that  we  have  had  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Roe.  It 
is  also  the  best  of  the  so-called  religious  novels  published  of  late" — The 
Christian  Union. 

"  There  are  many  stirring  and  dramatic  scenes  in  the  story,  while  its 
quieter  phases  are  not  wanting  in  grace  and  sweetness  " — Boston  Traveler. 

"  Mr.  Roe  has  laid  out  his  greatest  power  in  depicting  the  character  of 
the  heroine,  who  is  a  model  of  saintly  purpose  and  ardent  piety  without 
losing  the  peculiar  charms  of  female  loveliness.  He  is  strong  in  his  delineation 
of  character.  All  his  personages  have  a  clear,  sharp-cut  individuality,  and 
make  a  fresh  and  deep  impression  on  the  reader." — New  York  Tiibtme. 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 
751  BROADWAY.  N.    Y. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

RENEWED  BOOKS  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  IMMEDIATE 
RECALL 


LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-30m-9,'70(N9877s8)458 — A-31/5,6 


N9  816203 

PS2727 

Roe,  E.P.  F3 

A  face  illumined. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


